Lot 29: Kent Monkman 1965 - Canadian acrylic on canvas

Kent Monkman 1965 - Canadian acrylic on canvas Kindred Spirits Share Mysteries of the Ancient Ones 36 x 48 inches 91.4 x 121.9 centimeters signed and dated 2008 Provenance:Private Collection, Ontario Based in Toronto and accomplished in multiple artistic disciplines, Kent Monkman is an undeniable force in the contemporary art community. Monkman, who is of Cree and Irish ancestry, is successful at challenging the historical narratives that have been written and painted by the non-native population. His strength is to infuse traditional, iconic images with his own distinct voice that is at times heavy with controversial and hyper-sexualized tones, yet always presented with a hint of satire. In Kindred Spirits Share Mysteries of the Ancient Ones, an idealized assimilation of the non-native and native population is presented in lieu of accentuating the ruinous and tumultuous histories between the two. Such a significant interrelationship is prominently featured in this work and is one of the multiple narratives that Monkman so impressively constructs. In this piece, Monkman tackles the great masters of American realist painting, notably Asher Brown Durand, Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Eakins. First, the title is derived from a painting by Hudson School painter Durand entitled Kindred Spirits (1849) which illustrates the founder of the Hudson River School Thomas Cole in discussion with poet William Cullen Bryant. Kindred Spirits places both men in deep conversation, with the Catskill Mountains in the distance. Given the belief shared by the Hudson River School that the American landscape was sanctified by God, Durand's painting is loaded with religious values. By referring to this well-known painting in his own title, Monkman is raising concerns regarding the power of projecting idealizations onto the painted landscape. Therefore such a landscape is not representational nor realist but, in fact, ideological. Second, the backdrop of the painting is a reference to the Hudson River School painter Bierstadt and his sweeping landscapes of the American West, a subject matter he painted prolifically. Monkman effectively captures the kind of lush and luminous surface that Bierstad was renowned for creating. However, the most recognizable artistic reference may be to that of Eakins's masterpiece The Swimming Hole (1884 - 1885) with a group of men depicted in the lower left. As opposed to the non-native men iconically featured in Eakins piece, the individuals in Monkman's work are of European and First Nations status and are stripped of any clothes or other articles that may enhance their cultural differences. Interestingly, their poses are stiff and their gestures are unnatural and highly choreographed, which is a further reference to the classical model positions found in paintings of the past. Submerged in the majestic lake and enchanting surroundings, the looming sea monster is the focus of the mens' attention. The Mishibizhiw or Mishepishu (Great Lynx or Underwater Panther) would be recognized by the indigenous people of the Great Lakes district. Kindred Spirits Share Mysteries of the Ancients Ones is illustrating a cohesive, if not hyper-idealized, relationship between the native and non-native population. In doing so, the artist is combining alternate narratives with "mysteries of the ancient ones". Ultimately, Monkman is leading his audience into a conversation of unwritten histories and the narratives that are widely excluded from the canon he so proficiently studies. Such a discussion would not be possible without the strength of such a talented instigator and a painting such as this.