Further explore the exhibition’s themes of semi-visibility through a slow-looking exercise related to this work.

Transcript
Narrator: A member of the Lac Seul First Nation (Anishinaabe), artist Rebecca Belmore’s "Mixed Blessing" from 2011 is a mixed-media installation of an adult-sized kneeling figure leaning forward, obscured by a black cotton jacket with a hood pulled over its head. Thick, straight strands of black synthetic hair further cover the figure, pouring out of the hood and jacket onto the floor. The long hair entirely veils the figure’s face and body, creating a dark halo along the floor around the figure. This extends the installation to the full dimensions of almost 7 feet long by about 3 feet wide and 2 feet high.

A thin string of red beads travels down the center of this draped hair, hanging in front of where this figure’s face would be—possibly a reference to wampum beads and representing all First Nations people.

The only visible portion of the figure are two hands created from white plaster, peeking out from the arms of the jacket, cupped palms facing upward in a gesture of entreaty.

The prostrate figure is perhaps further weighed down by the writing across their back and shoulders. Along the jacket in capital letters the words “FUCKIN INDIAN” and “FUCKIN ARTIST” are arranged in the shape of a cross. F U C K is stacked vertically down the hood, and I N G A R T I S T continues vertically down the back. Horizontally across both sleeves and shoulders from left to right is “FUCKIN INDIAN.” The letters run together, formatted like stencils, and they are all black except for the “N” in the center where the words connect, which is bright red.

The red from the hair beads, and letter “N,” along with the white hands, are in stark contrast with the dark black encasing this prone figure, drawing our attention to these points and encouraging further contemplation of the treatment Indigenous artists must face.

Ver todos los episodios