Creativity Amidst Chaotic Spaces
Stories of indigenous and non-indigenous relations are often described as a series of clashes, often ending with defeat and segregation. But despite all the chaos and collision, these stories have led to a remarkable level of creative output over time. In fact, it seems that no matter how cultures interact, their relationships can spark many artists’ imaginations.
Dr. Gerald McMaster, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Visual Culture and Curatorial Practice, is investigating indigenous visual culture in the context of “contact zones” (areas where two or more cultures communicate and negotiate), cultural entanglement, voice and global indigeneity.
Working with colleagues in Europe, South America and Australia, McMaster and his research team investigate how cultures influence and inspire one another artistically. His work also addresses the impacts of colonialism, modernity and globalization on the production of indigenous art, as well as how it is received by non-indigenous societies.
McMaster and his team are focusing their research on three key areas: on indigenous Canadian artists who have represented European and Euro-Canadian or American newcomers visually or textually; on the creative developments of two isolated indigenous communities in Canada and Australia that differ historically, environmentally, and culturally, yet share political concerns; and on the tangled social and cultural histories of indigenous peoples and European outsiders in the Arctic and Amazon—two extreme and environmentally sensitive places that have demanded very specific human adaptations.
Ultimately, McMaster’s work will lead to a new understanding of how relationships affect artistic expression among indigenous peoples in colonial contexts.