Name/Title
Double Fake Double MorisseauEntry/Object ID
2021.02.01Description
Native Art Department International is a Canadian artist collective and collaborative project between wife-and-husband artists Maria Hupfield (b. 1975) and Jason Lujan (b. 1971). The project started while the artists were living in New York as a way of bringing attention to Indigenous artists across Canada and the United States, and supporting the decolonization of the arts by "allowing Native artists to represent themselves in any way they want today." Native Art Department International develops exhibitions, artist talks, collaborative artworks, videos, websites, and other platforms for artists and creative individuals to present and develop their practices together.
Both Hupfield and Lujan have used their reputations to create opportunities for other artists. Hupfield is of Ojibwe descent and a member of the Wasauksing First Nation. Born in Parry Sound, Ontario, she is known for her feminist performances that reference oral history and contemporary Indigenous issues. Jason Lujan is a Chiricahua Apache and Mexican. Originally from Marfa, Texas, Lujan's artistic practice is based around his personal experiences with racism and other issues facing indigenous communities. His work aims to challenge the stereotypes of Indigenous peoples.
Double Fake Double Morisseau (2021) is an altered copy of the final panel in Norval Morrisseau’s Man Changing into Thunderbird (1977). Split down the middle, the entire composition only depicts half of the original painting, which is mirrored and flipped on both sides. As the title alludes, Hupfield and Lujan each painted their fake on half of the canvas providing their own take on the prolific artist. The two "Morisseaus” seamlessly come together and could be easily overlooked as one of Morisseau’s woodland-style artworks. It is not until closer inspection that the viewer realizes that the portions are off, and the image is doubled.
The artwork challenges the concept of authenticity and identity. It illustrates the long legacy of Indigenous artists who have set the groundwork for newer generations while also pointing out the types of aesthetics that have defined Indigenous art. Hupfield and Lujan make clear that certain styles and practices, which are recognizably "Indigenous," have been highly valued by western audiences and limit the creative growth of young artists trying to present new ideas in the market.
http://www.nativeartdepartment.org/Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Native Art Department InternationalAttribution
Maria Hupfield and Issac LujanDate made
2021Dimensions
Height
101.6 cmWidth
91.44 cm