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One
day the wind signaled a fate beyond all comprehension. Buffalo Boy had been
thrown into the gut of the consumer world where he became an attraction,
another other for all to see. Buffalo Boy knew that he had to break free and
come out of the shadows of fringe and feathers. He began his mantra,
[UTF-8?]“If I
could turn back time and beat the crap out of Custer again and again, I
[UTF-8?]would.” As he clicked his heels and repeated [UTF-8?]“If I could
turn back
time,if I could turn back [UTF-8?]time…” a rainbow appeared and there stood
Belle Sauvage. The powers of the universe brought them together and they knew
instantly that they would put the WILD back into
thewest.
As part of our grand opening event on
Saturday, November 6,
2010, Plug In ICA presents [UTF-8?]“Putting the WILD Back into the
West: Buffalo Boy and Belle Sauvage [UTF-8?](2006-2010)”. This performance
and installation will be the culmination of four years of performance
installations by Lori Blondeau and Adrian
Stimson and the very last presentation of this series. DJ
Co-op will provide a blend of country and dance music throughout
theevening.
Through their wild-western alter-egos,
Buffalo Boy and Belle Sauvage,
Blondeau and Stimson adapt stereotypical themes from a now distant era of
vaudeville, saloons and gun [UTF-8?]fights, setting the stage for a
contemporary rewriting of history, encouraging the audience to participate in
creating a photographic record of an alternative aboriginal account. A
diorama is presented, for people to photograph themselves in colonial
costuming, as well as a wall of photos of previous Belle and BuffaloBoy
enactments. The public is invited to bring their own cameras to photograph
themselves and friends in the costumes provided, or to wear their own
costumes to the opening reception on November 6. Doors open at
7:00p.m.
Lori Blondeau is a
Cree/Saulteaux/Mtis artist and curator based in
Saskatoon. She is a co-founder and the current director of TRIBE, one of
[UTF-8?]Canada’s most innovative and exciting Aboriginal arts organizations.
[UTF-8?]Blondeau’s performance, photo, and media-based work has been presented
nationally and internation- ally. She is currently completing a PhD in
Interdisciplinary Studies at the University
ofSaskatchewan.
Adrian A. Stimson is a member of the
Siksika (Blackfoot) Nation in
southern Alberta and is a Saskatoon-based inter- disciplinary artist. He has
exhibited and performed nationally, and is a sessional instructor at the
University of Saskatch- ewan. His research has included identity,
metaphysics, two spirit people, ecology, spirit and healing modalities within
artistic practice. Adrian was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee
Medal in 2003 and the Alberta Centennial Medal in 2005 for his human rights
and diversity activism in
variouscommunities.
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