There are currently two exhibitions by Jeffrey Gibbons at the Portland Art Museum. That includes decoration and a timeline added to the front of the museum.
As you enter, the first thing you will encounter is "They Come From Fire".
However, "To Name An Other" is only on display through February 26th, which is why I need to get this post up now.
I don't want to give the wrong impression about Gibson, because he does do paintings and sculpture: visual art that can be easily displayed in museums.
What I noted about these two exhibits is how much they are out of and beyond the museum.
There is a display for "To Name An Other". There are fifty tunics and fifty drums. Then there is a couch where you can watch video segments of the performances in which these have been used.
For this ongoing performance art project, Gibson works with members of the queer community and community of color. They wear tunics coordinated with their drums, and present their phrase in turn.
I had looked over the words on the drums and tunics, but after watching the video, they hit me differently, especially "They Choose Their Family". I first read it as affirmatively prioritizing my family, but then seeing people who were queer and trans, perhaps they have had to choose families after being rejected by families of origin.
There is room for both to be right, even combined, but it is good to take some time going deeper.
The other thing that made me think differently was a video segment found through Gibson's site, "one becomes the other": https://www.jeffreygibson.net/video--/1/1
It heightened how these brightly colored, easily read, very much of the present tunics and drums connect with the intricate bead work and detail on traditional regalia. You see much more elaborate, but also presumably older items being taken out of closed archives and worn and danced in, then hidden away in archives.
"I feel like there's still so much I can learn from you."
There is a lot to think about regarding collections of Native American artifacts and requests for repatriation, but perhaps another part of that -- beyond simple respect -- can also be the point where preservation becomes suffocation.
"They Come From Fire" is grounded firmly in the present and future.
Using the bases of temporarily absent monuments, Gibson photographed artists, leaders, and community members coming from queer, indigenous, and other people of color.
The portraits are then arrayed in a collage, with color splashed along giving the effect of stained glass in a cathedral. The previously shown glass panels are suspended across from the photos, though I do not believe they are the source of the colors.
There are some great pictures, showing joy and exuberance.
There is also so much, that extends so far, that it is easy for individuals to get lost in the whole.
(I might just be saying that because I knew one of the participants and completely missed her, even after reading the names.)
Accessibility: There are elevators and there is an entrance that can be used by wheelchairs and other mobility devices, but they require significant detour. I believe there is room for improvement here.
Also, I am more aware of how prohibitive the $25 admission can be. There are some programs in place, and I went on a free day, but here is more room for improvement.
https://portlandartmuseum.org/plan-your-visit/admission-access-programs/
Also, if you go, make sure to check out the Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe, through May 14th. I will be posting about it next week.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment