Traditional American Indian Mother and Child/Contemporary Indian American Mother and Stepchild
Description
From the series "An Indian from India"
In this series, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew explores ethnicity, immigration, and the colonial gaze. Each panel juxtaposes two images: a late-nineteenth photograph of Native Americans and a reenactment of that historical image with Matthew’s body taking the place of the original subject. The series was inspired by Matthew’s experience, as an immigrant living in the United States, of constantly being asked where she was “really from.” It explores the role of photography in fixing and perpetuating stereotypes. As the artist explains, “I’m talking about the imbalance of power between the subject and the photographer. That’s one reason that I turned the camera on myself. Since the portrait is of me, I am in control of how I am being represented. It was a way to hold hands with Native Americans and reverse that gaze.”
In this series, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew explores ethnicity, immigration, and the colonial gaze. Each panel juxtaposes two images: a late-nineteenth photograph of Native Americans and a reenactment of that historical image with Matthew’s body taking the place of the original subject. The series was inspired by Matthew’s experience, as an immigrant living in the United States, of constantly being asked where she was “really from.” It explores the role of photography in fixing and perpetuating stereotypes. As the artist explains, “I’m talking about the imbalance of power between the subject and the photographer. That’s one reason that I turned the camera on myself. Since the portrait is of me, I am in control of how I am being represented. It was a way to hold hands with Native Americans and reverse that gaze.”
Creator
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew
Date
2001-2003
Rights
Courtesy Annu Palakunnathu Matthew and sepiaEYE. Original Photo Courtesy: University of Pennsylania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Original Format
Archival pigment print. Unique.
Physical Dimensions
Image: 24 x 30 inches; Framed: 25 x 31 inches
Files
Citation
Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, “Traditional American Indian Mother and Child/Contemporary Indian American Mother and Stepchild,” Contemporary Art Purchasing Program - Stamp Gallery, accessed December 29, 2024, https://contemporaryartumd.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/56.