Spencer Museum of Art Highlights
Photographer, screenwriter, filmmaker, and University of Kansas alum Ryan RedCorn explains that he uses “a photographic strategy of undermining tropes Americans have about Indigenous people. The volume of color present is an intentional counterweight to the black and white photographs the American subconscious inherited from previous generations and textbooks.” RedCorn developed these large-scale photographs—this one is 10 feet tall—to honor modern-day Natives and their stories of strength and resilience. The grand scale and extraordinary quality of the photographs evoke visual sovereignty and self-expression. Most importantly for RedCorn, these works “reclaim large amounts of wall space on behalf of Indigenous peoples.”
Empowerment
Early portraits of Native Americans, especially photographs, were often taken by white photographers as a way to document what they considered a “vanishing” people. This contemporary photo of a mother and daughter reverses that narrative, giving the subjects control of their own images and presenting them as examples of strength and resilience.
Empowerment
Early portraits of Native Americans, especially photographs, were often taken by white photographers as a way to document what they considered a “vanishing” people. This contemporary photo of a mother and daughter reverses that narrative, giving the subjects control of their own images and presenting them as examples of strength and resilience.
The Power of Place: KU Alumni Artists
Ryan RedCorn describes this work:
“In this portrait, my goal was to capture the emblematic love and strength between a mother and daughter–a form of familial love and expression of value that can be recognized by all peoples regardless of language or cultural background. Chantelle and Shay collaborated with me to execute a photographic strategy of undermining tropes Americans have about Indigenous people. The volume of color present is an intentional counterweight to the black and white photographs the American subconscious inherited from previous generations and textbooks. This work forcibly places Indigenous people in the present with dignity and respect.”
RedCorn’s photographs displayed here relate to his research into the murders of Osage women in the 1920s for their land rights. RedCorn developed these large-scale photographs to honor modern-day Native women and their stories of strength and resilience. The grand scale and extraordinary quality of the photographs evoke visual sovereignty and self-expression. Most importantly for RedCorn, these works “reclaim large amounts of wall space on behalf of Indigenous peoples.”
The Power of Place: KU Alumni Artists
Ryan RedCorn describes this work:
“In this portrait, my goal was to capture the emblematic love and strength between a mother and daughter–a form of familial love and expression of value that can be recognized by all peoples regardless of language or cultural background. Chantelle and Shay collaborated with me to execute a photographic strategy of undermining tropes Americans have about Indigenous people. The volume of color present is an intentional counterweight to the black and white photographs the American subconscious inherited from previous generations and textbooks. This work forcibly places Indigenous people in the present with dignity and respect.”
RedCorn’s photographs displayed here relate to his research into the murders of Osage women in the 1920s for their land rights. RedCorn developed these large-scale photographs to honor modern-day Native women and their stories of strength and resilience. The grand scale and extraordinary quality of the photographs evoke visual sovereignty and self-expression. Most importantly for RedCorn, these works “reclaim large amounts of wall space on behalf of Indigenous peoples.”
