Essay about Beat Nation

Submitted By CarlyWhitmore1
Words: 684
Pages: 3
Open Document
Assignment #1: Contemporary Art Writing
Beat Nation: Art, Hip Hop and Aboriginal Culture
Carly Whitmore
2437424

Under the preface of hip hop as activism and expression, Beat Nation speaks directly to the anger and negation of a history permanently altered and damaged by the Canadian Government’s Indian Act (a piece of statute that is still upheld today). The resulting works in the exhibition are about expression and knowing your rights, translating into mostly dense and poignant, some radically hilarious or scathingly satirical, and all acutely conscious works that speak to awareness.
The work by Nicolas Galanin, titled Tsu Heidei Shugaxtutaan, translates, as “We will again open this container of wisdom that has been left in our care,” and it has two parts. The first part , set to the thumping electronic music composed by Galanin, which stirs the performance of traditional Tlingit dancer Dan Littlefield. Dressed in full regalia, Littlefield moves to the contemporary music in the old style of dance. In the second part, you hear the drumming and chanting of traditional Tlingit vocals and drums and dancer David “Elsewhere” Burnal is seen in an empty dance studio, breakdancing. This was the first work I saw, or more specifically the first work I felt. The work was aesthetically appealing and made me think of a cross between generations, especially in aboriginal culture elders and tradition is sacred and I fount this piece effetely portrayed that. This excerpt from one of Galanin’s artist statements in 2010 describes his aprrosh to art making and something I believe can be applied to the entire exhibition; “I work with concepts, the medium follows. In the business of this “Indian Art World” I have become impatient with the institutional prescription and its monolithic attempt to define culture as it unfolds. Native American Art cannot be commonly defined as our work moves freely through time. The viewer, collector, or curators’ definition will often convey more about themselves than that of the “Native Artist”. In the past I have struggled with this title, though I now embrace my position as a contemporary indigenous artist with belief that some forms of resistance often carry equal amounts of persistence. My current collection of work presents visual experiences in hope of inspiring creative dialogue with the viewer. I work with an intention to contribute towards contemporary cultural development. Through education and creative risk taking I hope to progress cultural awareness both in and out of this Indigenous world.”
Another piece I really enjoyed was the short film Heritage Mythologies by Jackson 2Bears is, for me, the piece that put the exhibition into perspective With incredibly powerful images,
Show More

Related Documents: Essay about Beat Nation

Essay on How tos

going on right here. The celebration, the laughter and the cheers. If it’s a good time, We’ll bring it to you We're gonna celebrate and win this thing too. Let's go now. Branksome nation, From the Mid-div to the PAC Branksome nation, From North America to Asia and back. (To Beauty and a Beat) Bring it on, grade eights are gonna bring it on (eh eh eh) Spirit we got, No other grade could have ever brought (eh eh eh) We have been partying since 1999 We wanna bring it cuz grade…

Words 447 - Pages 2

Five Propositions for Exploring World Music Essay

1, p.33 Beat * Underlying pulse known as the beat * Can be marked out or implied Subdivision * More than one note per beat in a piece of music * Duple subdivision of the beat * Example: The Alphabet Song * Triple subdivision of the beat * Example: Row, Row, Row your boat Meter * Beats grouped in a systematic way. (Tells you how to organize the time.) * Measure or Bar * Each group of beats * Meter * Number of beats in a bar…

Words 1713 - Pages 7

Walt Whitman Research Paper

poems reflect that sense of urban excitement and welcoming of the war, and invite the spirit of war to move everyone to enlist and defend the unity of the nation. Although these poems want to justify the cause of war and the participation from the northerners, they also include traces of doubt, fear, and anxiety. He places poems like “Beat! Beat! Drums!”, “First O Songs for a Prelude”, and “Song of the Banner at Daybreak” which welcomes mystifies the war. Whitman experiences the war first as a…

Words 980 - Pages 4

The Race Beat Summary

issue amongst equality. Through the seeking of equality led to a new story in which reporters acted fast to capture. The Race Beat tells the story of how the civil rights movement used the news media to their advantage to spread the truth of the injustice that was being exhibited in the south. Journalists Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff give a first-hand approach to the “beat” because they were a part of the journalism that took place during the civil rights movement. Details and information of the…

Words 1246 - Pages 5

Joseph Stalin Essay

likewise headed the Soviet Union very nearly to the top in politically influential nation. Stalin had numerous impacts that headed him to his Soviet Leadership in which provided for him numerous admirers however significantly all the more non-supporters. At the age of 10, Joseph "Stalin" Djugashvili went to Gori's religious rudimentary school. His mother, Yekaterina, needed him to be a minister and would typically beat her child on the off chance that he child at whatever point he acted up. These…

Words 332 - Pages 2

North Korea Religion

were sneaky enough to worship in secret. Like every other nation you must worship the nation's leader, and being a part of another religion you are disowning your nation. Thousands of Christians were imprisoned, and many have been tortured or executed. Believers in christ meet in secret, risking themselves of getting killed or arrested. In North Korea everyone was involved in the persecution of christians. North Korea is an atheist nation, who lived by their rules of not letting anyone seek attention…

Words 541 - Pages 3

Pow Wow Dancing Research Paper

The Delaware nation has a pow wow at the end of May. This pow wow is located in Copan, Oklahoma. In an isolated location, nestled between fields, lies a ground that holds pow wows. The grounds are rich with grass and have bleachers that line the outside of the center part, where the dancers perform. The festivities span three days. A number of different tribes and other people attended. Tents are set around the grounds, where the pow wow takes place. Camps and sites have been established for a long…

Words 655 - Pages 3

Seminole Nation Research Paper

Seminole Nation Background. Before starting this research, all I knew about the Seminoles was that they were a native tribe from Florida who owned several casinos. From this research, I discovered that the Seminoles were not originally from what would become the state of Florida; instead, they are a merger of people from the Creek and Hitchiti tribes in Georgia who migrated south into Florida. Currently, they have six reservations across the state of Florida with approximately 3,100 members. The…

Words 955 - Pages 4

World War Ii and Penguin Group Usa Essay

across a poultry farm. The farm is used as prostitution ring for the Germans at night. As they try and leave the farm, they are captured once again by Germans. In order to obtain the eggs and keep their lives, Lev must beat the sadistic German officer at a game of chess. Lev beats the officer and kills him and his soldiers to ensure safe escape. Him and Koyla run back to Leningrad, to deliver the eggs but are shot at accidentally by Russian forces. Koyla is rushed to the hospital but dies from blood…

Words 553 - Pages 3

A Description of Freedom Riders Essays

down south especially in Birmingham, Alabama. Angry mobs attacked the bus they broke windows, slashed its tires, and threw a firebomb through the window. The mob violently beat the Freedom Riders with iron bars and clubs while the bus burned. The second bus was also attacked. Violence followed both buses to Birmingham where a mob beat the Freedom Riders while the police and the FBI watched and did nothing. It is awful to see that these students, women and men were being attacked while the authorities…

Words 317 - Pages 2