Putting the Wild Back Into the West

Description:

Putting the Wild Back into the West was an ongoing installation created by Lori Blondeau and Adrian Stimson. They performed under the personas, Belle Sauvage and Buffalo Boy and used parody and performance to investigate the impact of colonization on traditional and contemporary Indigenous culture. 

The artists staged a Wild West-themed diorama with stereotypical costumes available for the public to dress up in and pose for a photo, a remedial attempt to subvert the problematic tropes of the era. The scene’s simulacrum was complete with a photographer shooting the portraits with a vintage film camera; with the black-and-white photographs developed on site. 

Curated by Joanne Bristol.

Video documentation available upon request.