IDENTITY

Blair TreuEr

Artist Talk: Thursday, October 26th, 2023 from 6 - 7pm

www.blairtreuer.com

Artist Statement:

I am a storyteller from rural Minnesota, who made an unusual entrance into this craft. My children’s participation in a traditional Native American ceremony required me to make blankets as a part of their spiritual offering, and the process was very spiritual for me. Because it was the only way I could contribute as a non-native woman, I poured everything I had into those offerings. After a decade of creating blankets for private spiritual ceremonies, I transitioned to creating portraits for gallery display in 2018.

This body of work is my first series of portraits. It depicts each of my 9 children, my husband, and myself. Through the images and the artist statements for each portrait, I’ve opened the door into our personal lives. In the process of creating this collection, I realized how much my husband’s life's work has impacted the way I see the world and the way I see myself. He is an educator, culture-bearer, spiritual leader and activist for the Ojibwe Tribal Community. Being exposed to his work was like turning on a light bulb, or my “third eye” being opened. All of my textile portraits depict what I now see. As the only white person in my Native American family, my work is about my reflections as an outsider and the emotional rollercoaster I often ride as I stand fixed on the outside of the cultural and spiritual experiences of my husband and children, but privileged enough to look in. It’s not simply about the pieces of Ojibwe culture I’ve been allowed to see, but instead what it’s allowed me to see within myself, and even to recognize what cannot be found there.

The goldfinch is a constant in my work. It is the language bird in Ojibwe culture. In this collection however, I’ve expanded their representation to include the entire Ojibwe cultural and spiritual “tool box” if you will, which also includes the language. What my experiences with Ojibwe culture and spirituality has shown me, is that traditional language, food, music, clothing etc. is so much deeper than a simple representation of times past. It all has layers upon layers of meaning. For those who walk a traditional path, those things explain how to connect to the earth, to the spirits that dwell here, to each other, and to one’s self. The birds represent that depth of knowledge and understanding that my family and other Ojibwe people who follow a traditional path possess about who they are, where they come from, and what their purpose is while they are here.

It is not my intention to teach people about Ojibwe culture, but instead to use it as a mirror for analysis and self reflection of modern day mainstream American cultural norms. My portraits explore intimate parts of my life and center on the juxtaposition between my white culture and my husband’s traditional indigenous culture, and express a range of challenging topics concerning today’s society, with spirituality deeply woven into their narratives. My work is vulnerable, honest and personal, but has the power to make universal connections. Even when my work is dark, it’s filled with hope.