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ARTIST STATEMENT    JOHN HITCHCOCK

In my current work I deal with an overload of multiple views through mixed media installation and assemblage. I use complex formal arrangements consisting of found objects, photographs, prints, paintings, as well as video and audio to expose the viewer to an array of images with the intent that the objects will interact with their senses.

Dance, song, cycles, birth, youth, adulthood, death, nature, and the contemplation of one's existence are a part of all peoples lives. These are the concepts I deal with. My works depict personal, social and political views. The images I use are a direct result of stories shared by family members and issues regarding living on native lands in Oklahoma.

With the commercial exploitation of images of Native Americans such as: the Big Chief tablet, Crazy Horse liquor, Land -O- Lakes, Cleveland Indians, Washington Redskins, and the romanticized myth of the noble savage portrayed in Hollywood movies; the proliferation of images of American Indians in America popular culture has become a part of history. In my art I incorporate idealized interpretations of the American Indian with objects from the reality of life on native lands and symbols of spiritual significance. I have used these images to question the viewer's idea of the history of the American Indian in order to challenge viewer's perceptions of indigenous people.

My intent as an artist is to explore information from historical records to contemporary issues that indigenous people face. My work deals with a broad span of time that includes past, present and future. As society enters the 21st century we raise many questions about our past and present conditions. Can history be constant? What have we learned from progress? What will be the fate of my traditional ways? These are just a few of the many issues I question in my art work. In my work I examine the history of our country. Colonization, land, social, economic, and intercultural issues all play a part in my work. Researching the past to define my identity has become a vital source for my survival.