Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Frohawk Two Feathers: We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, at MCA Denver

Frohawk Two Feathers
The Battle of Tallow (Blood) River Or The Bear and The Wolf destroy the King of Gold and The Two Hells for enemies and traitors are opened. 1794, 2012
Graphite, and acrylic on elk hide, bison rawhide, and nails.
70" x 50"


I'm in Denver this week preparing for the opening of Frohawk Two Feathers's first solo museum exhibition at MCA Denver. The show, entitled We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, opens this Thursday. Here's a preview of the installation.


Taylor De Cordoba is thrilled to announce that MCA Denver will present the first solo museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Frohawk Two Feathers, the pseudonym for L.A.-based artist Umar Rashid. The exhibition, entitled Frohawk Two Feathers: We Buy Gold, We Buy Everything, We Sell Souls, will be on view from June 21, 2012 through September 9, 2012, and feature more than 20 paintings, works on paper and sculpture. 
Over the course of his career, Frohawk Two Feathers has created works that provide a magnificent re-imagining of history, narrating the story of Frengland, his fictionalized empire of a combined France and England. His drawings are detailed accounts of the traditions and rituals associated with the Frenglish leaders and culture, confronting issues of racism, power, greed, and ideological opposition within an invented period during the eighteenth century. By re-imagining colonial history, his work shows the subjective nature of historical recollection. 
Co-curated by Nora Burnett Abrams and Tricia Robson, the presentation at MCA Denver focuses on key characters and battles from the initial formation and early expansion of Frengland, as well as subsequent imperial conquests and campaigns against the crown. Rooted in this early history, the artist produced new works for this exhibition that further develop the complex narrative of the Frenglish empire, expanding the scope of his earlier work to North America and linking the narrative of Frengland to Colorado.



If you're in Denver be sure to check out the show.