The Atkinson Gallery held a virtual Art Talk this past Wednesday to unveil the details of their upcoming project “Cosmovisión Indígena: The Intersection of Indigenous Knowledge and Contemporary Art” that will be incorporated into the Getty Foundation’s “Pacific Standard Time: Art x Science x LA.”
The presentation consisted of a panel of the project’s organizers, which includes Atkinson Gallery Director John Connelly, artist advisor Tanya Aguiñiga, artist advisor Porfirio Gutiérrez, Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation Executive Director Frederick Janka and public art and engagement curator Dr. Audrey Lopez.
(Rodrigo Hernandez)
“Our goal is to reestablish and reinvigorate indigenous intergenerational knowledge of traditional and living practices,” said Connelly, Atkinson Gallery Director. “Our research will explore the intersection of western science and indigenous ecological knowledge using organizational systems of both schools of thought to create a hybrid space, a laboratory for experimentation and innovation.”
As previously reported by The Channels, the installation will consist of an art lab and learning garden in Santa Barbara serving members of the indigenous communities while also presenting a community research space in Oxnard where Oaxacan-American artists will teach the art and science of textile dyeing and weaving.
The final exhibition that will be presented for the Getty Foundation’s “Pacific Standard Time” will include pieces created from both locations and is scheduled for opening in 2024.
(Rodrigo Hernandez)
The project is currently underway, with recent additional support from the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden and the Santa Barbara Mixteco Indigenous community, as well as several artists who have been invited to join the project.
Among the new partners, Bell Arts Factory from Ventura will be able to provide studio space for the artists and art labs.
The panel themes that are being explored are “the new immigrant experience,” “storytelling through textile and craft” and “decolonization health practices.” However, these may change as the research process continues.
Gutiérrez, artist advisor, will provide the materials and insights necessary to complete this project. Gutiérrez grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico, a city which is known for its textiles, dyeing and weaving. Although Gutiérrez spent his youth in Oaxaca, he works in Ventura as well, frequently traveling between both countries before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working from Ventura and other parts of California, Gutiérrez noticed that many of the plants used for pigments in textiles in Oaxaca grow naturally in California, which begged the question “[If] the plants and the land does not have a border, so what does that make me?”
“Our goal is to reestablish and reinvigorate indigenous intergenerational knowledge of traditional and living practices,” said Connelly, Atkinson Gallery Director. “Our research will explore the intersection of western science and indigenous ecological knowledge using organizational systems of both schools of thought to create a hybrid space, a laboratory for experimentation and innovation.”
Aguiñiga was born in Tijuana and she grew up crossing the border every day to go to school in San Diego. The majority of her artwork revolves around borders, crossing borders, and thinking about the psychological effects that borders have on people and their bodies.
The impact of borders is not only prevalent for Gutiérrez, but also for co-artist advisor Aguiñiga.
Having presented her work in the Atkinson Gallery before Aguiñiga is looking forward to delving into what can be explored as to what defines the intersection of science and art.
“I’m really honored and completely beaming with excitement for how this project will continue to evolve,” Aguiñiga said.
