Object Record
Images
Metadata
Artist |
Murphy Adams, Molly |
Nationality or Tribal Affiliation |
Oglala, Lakota |
Title |
Epicenters and Impacts |
Type of Object |
Needlework |
Date |
2018 |
Medium |
Beadwork on vintage map |
Dimensions |
H-110.8 W-112 D-1.5 cm |
Dimension Details |
Dimensions include ribbons. Area of map is 92.5 x 122.7cm (36.5 x 48.25"). |
Collection |
Missoula Art Museum Archives |
MAM Sub-Collection |
Contemporary American Indian Art Collection |
Object ID |
2020.03 |
Statement about this object |
"The All My Relations Gallery in Minneapolis, MN in 2017 invited a selection of featured artists to create new works for an exhibit titled Bring Her Home; Stolen Sisters of Turtle Island. The exhibit was intentionally organized as a select group of native women artists creating new pieces for the central part of the exhibit and then additional artists adding pieces for a juried addition to the focus artists exhibition. "I was one of those featured artists and this map piece was my contribution. The concept was MMIW and each artist developed their pieces independently. My concept was trying to grapple with the many traumatic events in the greater Missoula area including the Salish and Kootenai Reservation. I grew up moving a lot, mostly within the Flathead, Jocko, Missoula, and Bitterroot Valleys. My starting point for this piece was examining my emotional reactions as I move through this landscape and remember the many traumatic events regarding assault, disappearance or abduction, and murder. These events leave a deep impact of memory for the people who are connected to these missing and murdered women. Driving along the roads and moving through the towns remembering what happened at this place, the body was found here, or this is the last place they saw her; this is a heavy burden that falls on the indigenous community and a burden that is only recently seen and acknowledged by the greater non native community. "I had been carrying around this old Forest Service map that centered on the Smokejumper base. The red circle indicating the beginning of flight time from the jump base reminded me of the visuals used to depict hurricane or earthquake events. I felt this was an effective way of depicting the radiating trauma of these events in this landscape. There are three overlapping elements. First the remnant dress element in the upper right. This is intended to be a fragment of a Salish style velvet dress with rows of basket beads and cowrie shells. The red dress ties in with the MMIW visuals as well as being traditional color and style for Salish women. Second, the graphic elements of floral beadwork and geometric designs. The floral beadwork is in a style that Salish and Kootenai women use to decorate cradleboards and regalia. The geometric designs are taken from twined cornhusk bags. The third element of the piece is the map and the symbols I added in beadwork to that map. I accented the highways in a striped bead to portray the paths of movement that cross the reservation and often bring violence, drugs, and individuals intent on harm. The highways are where bodies are found and where businesses like bars are located. The movement of people is also tied to the trauma of women. The main focal point of the composition are many red or similar colored circles beaded on the map. Each circle represents an event that is known to me. It is where a person went missing, where a body was found, or where an assault took place. I chose not to include any specifics or guide to these events to avoid making this about any one person (and therefore inappropriately milking tragedy for my art), or create a gratuitous exploitation of misery by people who find the details of grisly events entertaining. There are very brave and hardworking groups doing the tough work of compiling the histories and legal data and I have no need to clumsily recreate their work. This visual record is meant to give the viewer a sense of the denseness of these events in this landscape, a landscape which to tribal people is so fraught with import and connection. I wanted to depict these events as important to the people as geological events. "Many of the themes of this piece are difficult to talk about. It was a deliberate choice to make this piece beautiful rather than imposing or frightful, but in the end I felt that creating beauty does justice to the ideas of resilience of native women and the skills we maintain regardless of the forces against us. It has also been difficult to engage in the activity of promoting this piece, but I am grateful that this has an appropriate home in a place where my tribal community can see it and know their experiences are acknowledged." -Molly Murphy Adams, 2020 |
Subjects |
Native Americans Women Abductions Murders Grief Loss Trauma Social justice Maps Flowers Clothing & dress Resilience |
Search Terms |
Montana Flathead Reservation Missoula, Montana |