Thanks Albuquerque, for your warm welcome!
Reprinted from abqARTS and entertainment, November 2012
Four New Mexico artists of diverse ancestry initiate a multi-year
project with an exhibition opening November 2 at Ralph Greene’s Freestyle
Gallery.
Creation/Migration artists
include Donna Caulton, Chamisal; Belinda Edwards, Santa Fe; Betsie Miller-Kusz, Jemez Springs; and Harriette
Tsosie, Albuquerque. The four artists met while working on the “Mining
the Unconscious” project, three exhibitions and more than 20 community programs
completed in Santa
Fe last year
(miningtheunconscious.org).
The Creation/Migration
project is an ongoing inquiry, and each of its projected exhibitions will build
on the artists’ exploration of identity issues, such as “Who am I and how did I
get here?”, “Genetically speaking, is there such a thing as race?”, “What if what
I learn from my scientific investigation contradicts what I have been taught or
have always believed?”.
Miller-Kusz notes that the
women are collaborating on an exhibition piece, the Sojourner Basket. “{It is} the actualization of our encounter,” she
says. “The basket references the form of
the Apache burden baskets, but instead of carrying burdens it contains the
physical and metaphoric effects we carry from our creation myths and our
migratory histories.
Edwards suggested the four
women have their DNA tested to find their migratory routes out of Africa. They are doing this through National Geographic’s “Genographic Project”,
which has already identified seven ancient migratory paths that humans
took. Edwards is particularly interested
in tracking her history back to her tribal African ancestors.
All DNA of females living today reaches back to a mitochondrial “Eve”, an
ancestor of 100,000 years ago in Ethiopia, from whom we all descended,” says Edwards.
First to complete the DNA testing was painter Caulton, who was shocked by some of her results. “I
knew about my Irish ancestry, but I was surprised that part of the migratory route
went through Russia.”
November2-December 14
Freestyle Gallery, 1114
Central SW,
243-9267 Reception November 2, 5-7 PM, Day of the Dead
Four female artists had
their DNA tested for the Freestyle Gallery’s featured exhibit,
“Creation/Migration: Stories of the Journey.”
The women trace their mitochondrial DNA to discover patterns of their migration out of Africa and through the rest of the world. Each explores identity issues.
Belinda Edwards, one of the
exhibitors, suggested the artists have their DNA tested as part of the National Geographic
“Genographic Project.” She says her creations emerge from dreams and visions.
Betsie Miler-Kusz
collaborated with the others on a “Sojourner Basket” containing creation myths
and migratory histories.
Donna Caulton’s DNA traces her ancestors’ path through Ethiopia, the Middle East, Russia, and Northern Europe. Her
art makes use of mandalas, and explores natural balance and cycles.
Albuquerque’s Harriette Tsosie works with universal
symbols. Her pieces juxtapose the
spiritual with the physical.
We may not have any idea
where we are going, but with the help of genetic testing, we can at least find
out where we as human beings have been.
The exhibit will be up through Friday, Dec. 14, at 1114 Central SW.
Reprinted from WEEKLY ALIBI, November 7-14, 2012
