Jones’ exhibition references the history of Native Americans in the United States. Collectively the works point out aspects of untold history for the original peoples starting from the conception of America to the present day.
An example of desecrated sacred land and broken treaties, Mount Rushmore is the starting point for the series. The viewer is confronted with the larger-than-life ideologies of each of the presidents. The monument is a symbol of ‘American greatness’ by many, but to Native people, it is a reminder of the atrocities performed by each of the founding fathers. The primarily monochromatic painting of Mt. Rushmore is juxtaposed with paintings of lesser-known Native American figures: Ira Hayes and Jim Thorpe.
Jones is a descendant of Ira Hayes, a member of the Akimel O’odham tribe. The Olympic gold medalist, Jim Thorpe is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation. The vibrant colors work to honor the late Native American figures.
The portraits of Jones’ mother and aunt within the context of a museum of Native “artifacts” bring the viewer into the present day. The glamorized portraits go against the misconceptions of Native Americans depicted in history books and museums. The final painting in the series of works is an abstract expression created by the artist’s body, relying on the movement and involvement of form. The works act to bring awareness to a lesser represented demographic of the United States as well as grapple with the artist’s personal identity.
Artists Statement:
I am an interdisciplinary artist revealing the truth of Native Americans living in colonized America. I am exploring this concept by focusing primarily on history and figures that have affected the Native people. By working with historical events I hope to raise awareness of the injustice that has been done against Native Americans. Being Native myself, I have always been conscious of what (little) information was taught in the classroom. Feeling a lack of representation and justice for Native Americans, it was important for me to take the opportunity to speak up, and ‘burst the bubble’ that many Americans have for Native Americans. My art aims to tackle the dark history of American presidents who have had a hand in Native American genocide. With this, I am also dealing with my own identity. Being racially mixed with Native American and white, I have struggled with where I fit into society. When your culture becomes a guessing game for others, it can be confusing trying to figure out who you even are. The existence of Native Americans has been misunderstood as extinct, so their idea of what a Native should look like is influenced by stereotypes. Not only my identity but my family’s identity has been influenced by these false stereotypes. To explore my family and my identity, I have used them in artworks this semester in various photography and mirror documentation. Instead of Natives just being seen in a history book or a museum as something extinct, I have tried to place our identity and culture in the contemporary world.
Images left to right are:
Jim Thorpe, 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 61 x 34 inches. Carolynn Easton, 2021, Photograph, 17 x 22 inches. Ira Hayes, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 61 x 33 inches. Self Portrait, 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 40 x 64 inches
Artist Bio:
Emily Jones is a graduating senior at St Mary’s College of California, receiving her bachelor’s in art practice. Jones is an interdisciplinary artist working with the reality of Native Americans living in colonized America, working through her identity as Native (a member of the Akimel O’odham). Her work is concerned with her and her family’s identity, struggles, and injustice for Native Americans. To relay these messages, Jones works on a large-scale gaining representation of important Native figures, and the figures who colonized.
Jones also has a deep appreciation and interest in cosmetology. She practices this art form by doing special event makeup for others. There is a cross between her interest in cosmetology and her art practice by incorporating makeup looks in the documentation of her art. By combining the practice of makeup and her Native American identity, she is putting an end to false stereotypes. This interdisciplinary practice takes the idea others have of Natives in a history book and into current times.
Contact: joness.emilyy@gmail.com