‘Native America: In Translation’ Exhibit Opens at The Blanton Museum of Art on the UT Austin Campus

The Blanton’s newest exhibit, Native America: In Translation, presents Indigenous life from the perspective of those living it. Consisting of photography, video, and other lens-based media, the show displays the visions of nine different Native American artists, each employing different styles and approaches to explore central themes of identity, history, memory, and colonialism.

Austin is the sixth destination for this acclaimed exhibit.

Curated by Apsáalooke artist Wendy Red Star, Native America: In Translation is an extension of the Fall 2020 issue of Aperture magazine which Red Star guest-edited. Combining her artistic knowledge and her cultural background, Red Star built upon the themes she explored in the New York-based photography publication to cultivate an exhibition that journeys the viewer from Native America’s past to current-day life. The Blanton Museum of Art is the sixth destination of this widely-acclaimed installation.

“I was thinking about young Native artists and what would be inspirational and important for them as a road map,” says Red Star. “The people included here have all played an important part in forging pathways, in opening up space in the art world for new ways of seeing and thinking.”

Photography is used to convey memories and experiences.

Native America: In Translation challenges the widely-shared narrative that Native America is something of the past. The exposition also confronts the fraught relationship between memory and Native America, specifically what is remembered and from whose point of view. Each of the exhibited Indigenous artist thus ventures to use photography as a tool to convey their own memories and experiences. The featured artists include Rebecca Belmore, Nalikutaar Jacqueline Cleveland, Martine Gutierrez, Koyoltzintli, Duane Linklater, Guadalupe Maravilla, Kimowan Metchewais, Alan Michelson, and Marianne Nicolson.

“These artists beautifully and astutely claim the medium of photography to address social and cultural histories while telling deeply personal stories,” shares Hannah Klemm, curator of modern and contemporary art and organizing curator of the Blanton’s presentation. “The works across the exhibition uplift community and celebrate Indigenous heritage while looking towards our collective future.”

Photography as a medium is nonrestrictive in its possibilities, resulting in a wide range of techniques and sentiments throughout the show. Shared items include nostalgic Polaroid collages of natural spaces from Cree artist Kimowan Metchewais (Cold Lake First Nations), crisp and striking images of contemporary Native life from documentarian and photographer Nalikutaar Jacqueline Cleveland (Yup’ik), and an interactive light projection displaying an archival photograph along with Indigenous symbols from visual artist and land rights activist Marianne Nicolson (Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nations).

Another particularly modern expression comes from Martine Gutierrez (American), who seeks to emulate a fashion magazine photo shoot through a distinctly Indigenous lens. Referential and vivid, she shares a spread of high-fashion-esque portraits in which she recreates recognizable poses while sporting traditional Indigenous garb.

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Native America: In Translation includes over 60 works on view

Each piece in the collection of over 60 works of art supplies a richness to the modern American Indian identity. Using abstract artistic interpretations as well as more direct representations of their life, Native America: In Translation helps build a fresh educational and emotional understanding of the Native American experience.

Native America: In Translation remains on view through January 5, 2025. Learn more at blantonmuseum.org.