BRANTFORD, ON – Woodland Cultural Centre is pleased to present two events featuring the work of Internationally renowned performance and visual artist James Luna, the exhibition PERFORMAGRAPHIC and the Toronto Premiere of James’ newest performance Ishi: The Archive Performance.
“James Luna is a visionary, a truth teller, a romantic, and a hanging judge.” –Paul Chaat Smith
“Through irony, humour, and strong sense of narrative, his internationally recognized installation and performance art has challenged us to be more critically aware of the commonly held stereotypes of Aboriginal people.” – Stephen Foster, Associate Professor, Creative Studies UBC Kelowna.
PERFORMAGRAPHIC
February 13- May 6, 2016 Opening Reception: February 13, 2pm
Woodland Cultural Centre 184 Mohawk St, Brantford, ON
The exhibition titled PERFORMAGRAPHIC presents a powerful collection photographic and video works created between 2010-2014, referencing his artistic career of over 30 years. The viewer finds the merging of his performance ideals into photographic stills that exist as much more than documentation but rather stand alone images addressing cultural identity, representation/history and the spiritual world.
Ishi: The Archive Performance
February 16, 2016 8pm
Aki Studio Theatre 585 Dundas St East
Tickets $22 Purchase tickets at: http://www.nativeearth.ca/ishi/
In partnership with The Indigenous Visual Culture –OCAD U., the Woodland Cultural Centre will also present the long awaited Toronto Premiere of ISHI: The Archive Performance. Written and performed by James Luna and featuring artist Jeneen Frei Njootli, ISHI: The Archive Performance tells the story of Ishi, an Indian who man walked into the small northern California town of Oroville. His sudden appearance inspired fright, laughter, and pity from the populace. The civic leaders contacted an anthropologist who came to the conclusion that Ishi was in deed the last of his tribe. It was decided that for his welfare and for the advancement of science that he would occupy the Museum on the University of California Berkeley’s campus, where he lived out his remaining years as a living specimen.
James Luna is a Pooyukitchchum/Ipai native who presents his stories to share his political and social commentary through performance art. He uses monologues, visual examples, and antics to tell stories that delve deep into the strife and misconceptions of ethnicity in America. He is a powerful force in performance art today and has received numerous grants and awards and his performances have toured Internationally. In 2005, he was selected as the first Sponsored Artist of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian presented at the 2005 Venice Biennale’s 51st International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy. In 2012 James was awarded Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM
Jeneen Frei Njootli is a Gwich’in artist who is gaining recognition for her work in visual and performance art, touring across Canada. She is a founding member of the ReMatriate collective and has been working with James Luna since 2015.
We would like to acknowledge a special thanks to Culture Storm.
For more information, please call 519.759.2650 or visit www.woodland-centre.on.ca
For additional information please contact: Naomi Johnson 519-759-2650 ext. 243
njohnson@woodland-centre.on.ca
