KENT MONKMAN
The Ford Erections
Date: 2014
Dimensions: 48” x 38”
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Condition: Overall very good
Provenance:
– Artist
– Trotta-Bono Contemporary, Los Angeles, CA
In this rare nightscape, four Ford trucks illuminate a theatrical scene. At the center stand the Lone Ranger and Tonto alongside Winnetou and Shatterhand – fictitious figures rooted in settler fantasy and European myth-making. Positioned according to the four sacred directions with corresponding color symbolism, the trucks’ headlights spotlight the men as if on stage, emphasizing the performance and artifice of these colonial constructions. Through biting humor and irony, Monkman critiques the appropriation and commodification of Indigenous cultures and lands, inviting reflection on the manufactured myths imposed upon Native identity.
Kent Monkman (1965– ) is a renowned Cree artist known for his provocative and visually stunning works that challenge conventional narratives of colonialism, sexuality, gender, and Indigenous history. Born in St. Mary’s, Ontario, Monkman grew up in Winnipeg. He is a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. Monkman’s unique multidisciplinary approach to art includes painting, performance, video, and installation, making him one of the most dynamic and influential Contemporary artists of Indigenous descent.
Kent Monkman’s work has been shown Internationally, with examples featured in major Institutions such as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the National Gallery of Canada, the Glenbow Museum and the Gardiner Museum. His work has become a vital part of many prestigious collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Hirshhorn Museum, the Royal Ontario Museum, the National Gallery of Canada, the Denver Art Museum, and the Art Gallery of Ontario, among many other Institutions.
In 2019-2020, Monkman created a monumental diptych titled mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People), which was prominently displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The two paintings, Welcoming the Newcomers and Resurgence of the People, explore the arrival of European settlers in North America and the resilience of Indigenous peoples in the face of colonization.
