Winter 2006

Editor: Wendy Red Star's "Winter" features a staged scene with the artist herself. It's unsettling, almost like a diorama. What do you make of this constructed landscape? Curator: It's a powerful disruption of typical romanticized portrayals of Native Americans. Red Star uses artifice—the backdrop, the fake snow—to highlight the constructed nature of identity and representation. How does this relate to historical depictions? Editor: I see how the staged elements challenge authenticity, pushing against stereotypical images. Is she reclaiming control of her image? Curator: Precisely. She's actively dismantling colonial narratives by inserting herself into the frame, literally and figuratively. This act of self-representation becomes a form of resistance. Consider the bison skull, a potent symbol, juxtaposed with artificial elements. Editor: It's thought-provoking to consider the layers of meaning embedded in each element. It's a powerful statement about identity. Curator: Absolutely. It invites us to question not only the image but also the history that shapes our understanding.