Resurgence of the People 2019

Editor: This is "Resurgence of the People," a mixed-media painting by Kent Monkman, created in 2019. It immediately strikes me as both chaotic and hopeful, a feeling emphasized by the turbulent waves and determined faces. What do you see in this piece, especially regarding its cultural symbolism? Curator: The immediate resonance is its potent invocation of the collective unconscious. This image carries visual echoes of Delacroix's "Liberty Leading the People" and Gericault's "Raft of the Medusa," doesn't it? Both paintings depict historical struggle. Monkman employs those archetypes, recasting them within an Indigenous framework. Notice the artist cleverly places uniformed gunmen at the shore—does that imagery invoke thoughts of colonization? Editor: It does. They seem poised to attack, but are failing to intimidate the figures on the water. There is this powerful figurehead too, adorned in red. Who might this refer to? Curator: Ah, that’s Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, Monkman's gender-bending alter ego. Miss Chief often disrupts established narratives of power. The fluidity of her gender becomes a potent symbol against rigid colonial structures, right? She leads this "resurgence," challenging viewers to question history's dominant narratives. Editor: That's such an impactful statement! So the overall composition becomes an assertion of Indigenous resilience through art historical and contemporary symbols. Curator: Precisely. It is a vibrant, deliberately disruptive assertion, and challenges viewers to critically examine ingrained cultural memory, as well as who controls that narrative. It begs us to consider what “resurgence” truly signifies. Editor: This really changes how I view the piece. I see now the artist utilizes the shared visual vocabulary of historical paintings to connect with very contemporary conversations of Indigenous experiences and nationhood. Curator: Yes, Monkman is indeed engaging the weight of collective memory in fascinating ways. He transforms and reclaims art history.