mnartists.org: Carolyn Lee Anderson

The Four Directions Piece

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:49:14 GMT

Although I have established my foothold in the arts as a painter, textiles have become increasingly important to my work. I initially learned how to do Navajo-style weaving in 2003 from my grandmother, but it wasn't until recently that I became serious about pursuing this art form. Realizing what an honor it would be to continue this tradition, I decided to incorporate Navajo weaving into my work. Since the Fall of 2011, I have been developing a new series that is inspired by the stories and traditions of my family. Many of these pieces combine painting on canvas with fabric. Four of them also incorporate Navajo weaving. I consider these four works to be my first few pieces in a life-long body of work. Each material has its own history, and each art form is tied to my maternal lineage. By combining them, I am acknowledging and examining these various historical threads and how they have affected and influenced my life. I consider how my body and personality are the accumulating effects of my ancestors--their blood, stories, joys and struggles. I reflect on the ways in which colonization has impacted my family and how it currently impacts my life. Through my work I make the link between myself, my immediate family, my relatives and ancestors. I consider my place in the world and how the thread of my family's story is a part of a much grander tapestry that was created and is sustained by the forces of nature. I am exhibiting this developing body of work at my premiere solo exhibit called [url=http://www.allmyrelationsarts.com]Shijéí/My Heart: Mixed Media Works by Carolyn Lee Anderson at All My Relations Gallery[/url] of Minneapolis April 13-May 25.

Self Portrait: Between Dinetah and Mni Sota

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:39:58 GMT

As I was creating this piece I was thinking about the split that I felt within myself. I was born and raised in Minnesota, but my maternal heritage is Diné. I feel at home and love Minnesota, but I have an intense longing to be in the Southwest and to learn about my culture and language. It's as if half of my heart is here in Minnesota, and the other half is in Dinétah. As long as I'm in Minnesota, my grandmother who lives in Bemidji with my mother is my only link to my Navajo heritage. As I created this piece, I was also thinking about who I really am. When everything else is stripped away- my identity as an artist, a Minnesotan, or a displaced Navajo. When I relinquish my story, my past, what is left? A soul, a piece of consciousness that has broken away from its origin. And the body that I temporarily inhabit is a small piece of Earth, passed down to me by my ancestors. Those souls who came before me whose bodies and lives are inherently connected to my body and my life- those souls who I can't remember, but who deep within I know.

I-94 Hawk

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:24:53 GMT

Dakota Concentration Camp

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:45:10 GMT

Mpls on the Mississippi

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:07:45 GMT

Industrial Landscape

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:45:57 GMT

Pollution

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:42:31 GMT

In "Pollution" I am telling the story of the colonization of the land, which came to be known as "America." I depict a conglomeration of images that dominate the landscape. Images like a Christian church, trails of blood splattered across a map of North America, the repetition of rectangular buildings, homes, and a large United States flag show the ugly truth of colonization, which is masked behind and justified by the political myth called, "the American Dream."

Eagle View Properties

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:38:05 GMT

Remote Control

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 22:51:35 GMT

In "Remote Control" I have painted my idea of how "the American Dream" would manifest if this dream were to become a reality. "The American Dream" means to create safe communities that exclude all things untamed. In my painting, the wilderness has become completely overtaken by trimmed, "well-maintained" lawns. People are boxed up in their square homes. Each house is adorned with its own satellite dish receiving signals from the large satellite hovering in outer space. In attempt to find safety, to eradicate chaos, and to establish control, they have lost their connection to the Earth and to other people.

Suburban Landscape

Carolyn Lee Anderson — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:39:31 GMT

According to the Bible, First Man and First Woman were cast out of the Garden of Eden into a cold, cruel existence where they must struggle and toil against the natural environment in order to survive. This ideology has affected how westerners relate to nature. As a child, I remember the terms that were used to describe the pre-colonized land of the Americas in my history classes. The Europeans saw a "wilderness" that was "unopened" and "undeveloped." They "discovered" "empty" land that required domination and order. On a superficial level, the Earth seems chaotic, but in actuality, if one looks closer they would be in awe of its intricate order. In my paintings I depict the organized disorder of nature, and I express my feelings and ideas on how modern North Americans relate to nature. I show the Euroamerican battle against the "wild" and their obsession with straight, squared edges, and trimmed lawns. I emphasize the sky to create a feeling of human kind's vulnerability and impermanance.