Tuesday, June 25, 2013

BANG! - you're dead.....

Tim Laurin, Rain Dance - a Self Portrait. 2012
Following my interest in memory and identity, I have begun to look at my own childhood playtime games and my lost family heritage.  This has sparked what I affectionately call my "Cowboy and Indian" series. This series of works looks at this question, both from a existentialist point of view as well as a pragmatic one.  Approximately 15 years ago it was discovered that I am descended from an Ojibwa heritage, thus making me Metis.  This information was a family secret lost for many years.


At the time of Confederation, much of the inhabitants of Drummond Island, north of Manitoulin Island, were relocated to the shores of Georgian Bay.  During this time of displacement, there was a decision made to conceal our past. I am a product of this conflicted identity.  As a craftsman, I have a fascination with post-war "made in Japan" kitsch - these bizarre figurines made by the hands of some of the most traditionally skilled people in the world, became our souvenirs, mementos and trinkets.

Part of my Kitsch Collection

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