Mar 31, 2014

Mar 30, 2014

RESERVATION HORSES























Tohono O'odham-kansan ihan tavallinen nykyaikainen asuinalue, Sells. Ei mitään erikoista tässä reservaatissa - paitsi dyykkarihevoset, jotka eivät ole kenenkään. Ainakaan kukaan ei tunnusta...

Nobody's horses raiding dumpsters in Sells reservation.

Mar 29, 2014

LAUREN MANOOGIAN








Täydelliset sävyt ja vetoava kokoelma Lauren Manoogianilta.
Kuvat täältä.

Lauren Manoogian stole my tones and heart.
Pics from here.

WORK

 


Artist Statement

In my art-making process I make connections between Americana and my own background. Even though I only first came to the United States as a college senior in 2012, American culture has influenced my life through media such as movies, television, music videos and social media.

In these artworks I explore my view of Native Americans. I am one-eight Sámi myself. Sámi nation, also known as Laplanders, are the indigenous people of Northern Europe. In my work, represented here, I’ve been influenced by Finnish photographer Jorma Puranen’s series “Imaginary Homecoming”. My idea of Native Americans has been based on imagery produced in pop culture. Seeing the reality around me here in Tucson is teaching me new perspectives.

I have always felt a need to come to the USA, and being here has proved my desire right – on arriving I felt at home instantly. In my future work I’ll continue researching my relation to Americana from different points of view – that of my “American aunties” and that of  “Gold Rushers”  family stories say about relatives who moved to United States around 1900’s. Back then immigration was very common to United States from Finland.

Being here has also made me explore my own Finnish culture; as its saying states, “Going far helps to see near”.

(Ink, charcoal, conté pastel and acrylic on paper, 2,5 ft x 3,5 ft, 2014)

Mar 22, 2014

EXTENDED PHOTOS





Tässä on joko pilalle menneitä ottoja tai pidennettyjä valokuvia ratsastustunnistani. Edelleen ilman satulaa, mutta kuolaimet on tällä kertaa hevosella käytössä (tykkäsin enemmän mennä ilman niitä). Huppu hevosen päässä on kärpäsverkko -sieltä näkyy kyllä läpi :)

GP John was taking pics of my riding lesson but apparently my camera was in video mode so we got extended photos! It's more than just a pic ;)

Mar 20, 2014

MY LOVE










Auringonlaskut vuorten taa ja Arizona. Kaikki koti-ikkunasta. Ihan karmea ajatus, että tottuu siihen ja kokee arjeksi!

My love the sun. Always majestic goodbye on my window. Waiting every morning to see you again. The sun, my love.

Mar 17, 2014

SAN XAVIER AND OTHER (ROCK) STARS






Man on the maze
Tohono O'odham flag









Perjantai-iltana kävin Downtownissa Congress-klubilla ja kavereiden treenikämpällä. Lauantaiaamuna suunnattiin katumaan San Xavier-kirkolle, joka on keskellä intiaanien reservaattia. Intiaaninainen peruskatolilaisten patsaiden seassa on St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680). Kirkko oli todella upea, mutta hiukan häiritsi voimakas katolilaisuus mm. intiaanien hautausmaalla (jota ei saanut kuvata). Se oli katolilainen hautausmaa visuaalisesti, mutta ehkä kuvauskielto oli natiiveilta, joten kunnioitin sitä.

First I was rocking in my friends' training studio and then I was contending in San Xavier church. For me the strong Catholic ethos around native reservation was disturbing. Well, at least I couldn't take photos of their cemetery (which was purely Catholic looking) so I had the opportunity to respect the original spirits (I think Catholic culture itself doesn't mind photographing their cemeteries).

"The beauty of the mission often leads tourists to presume that the desert people embraced the Catholicism of the Spanish conquistadors. In fact, Tohono O'odham villages had resisted change for hundreds of years."