T.C. CANNON
Poor Immigrant
Date: 1970
Dimensions: 13.25" x 11.75” (sight) | 18.5” x 17.25” (framed)
Medium: Graphite on paper
Condition: Overall very good
Exhibited:
– “Of God and Mortal Men: Masterworks by T.C. Cannon from the Nancy and Richard Bloch Collection”, Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ, October 7, 2017–April 15, 2018
Provenance:
– Artist
– Private Collection, Santa Fe, NM
– Trotta-Bono Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
TC Cannon’s graphite drawing reimagines General Custer – a symbol of American expansionism – through a contemporary lens. Rendered with exquisite detail, Custer is shown in iconic military attire, overlaid with the pop art-style text “Poor Immigrant.” The phrase challenges heroic myths, recasting Custer as an outsider and exposing the violent colonial legacy. Combining precise draftsmanship and bold text, Cannon invites viewers to reconsider history and the narratives that shape identity and power.