Printed in 2007
This is the gallery’s first exhibition as representative for Ottawa-based Onondaga artist Jeff Thomas. Thomas is well known for his studies of Indianness in which he investigates the legacy of Canadian historical monuments, the currency of cigar store Indians and kneeling braves of Bank of Montreal building pedestals. Thomas proves these images are far from static. Seen from his perspective, the evidence of First Peoples’ influence on popular culture and their power within contemporary society is abundant. His photographs explore the symbolic juxtapositions of past and present, historical imagery and contemporary reality, in the relationship of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in North America. Drive-by, which includes five projects, suggests a road trip of inter-cultural exploration with Thomas at the wheel.
Our exhibition concentrates on one series from within Drive-by, the genesis of which is described by Thomas:
“One day I was walking by a Toronto Dominion Bank in Winnipeg, Manitoba when I noticed that above the doorway was a bank crest with a figure that looked like an Indian. The bank was eventually torn down and I documented the demolition, waiting to capture the crest being lowered from the facade. Returning to the site day after day gave me an opportunity to think about the meaning of the crest and the Indian figure—how many people walk by it everyday, yet never notice it. I found a parallel to the urban-Indian experience: if you don’t look like an Indian wearing a headdress, then are you really an Indian?”
“I was sorry to see the bank crest taken down because it gave a point of reference for my street work and to speak about Indian urbanization. But it led me to search out other banks and taught me to “look up” instead of always looking straight ahead. Eventually, I “looked up” and saw the Bank of Montreal crest, with its two clearly-defined Indian men.
This is our feature presentation for Contact May 2008 and is concurrent with a retrospective of Thomas’ work titled Drive-by – A Road Trip with Jeff Thomas held at the University of Toronto Art Centre, May 1 to June 28, 2008.
