Framing Colonialism: An Analysis of Kent Monkman’s mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People)

Authors

Jasen D. Evoy, Lindenwood UniversityFollow

Student Type

Graduate

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The 2019 diptych mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People) by Kent Monkman is one of a series of recent commissions by the Metropolitan Museum in New York granted to diverse artists, shifting the Museum’s focus to a broader, inclusive, and global scope. Monkman’s large scale paintings are site specific, exploring interactions between the work and the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum. The work uses visual quotation to connect to historical works within the collection of the Met, thereby commenting on the legacy of colonialism and subsequent impacts on Native peoples and cultures. The analysis of the work focuses on visual and iconographic comparison with Western examples such as Titian’s Venus and Adonis, Delacroix’s The Natchez, and most significantly Leutze’s Washington Crossing the Delaware, exploring Monkman’s symbolism and intended commentaries on the displacement and resurgence of Native peoples.

Author Bio

Jasen D. Evoy is a student at Lindenwood University.

Recommended Citation

Evoy, Jasen D. (2022) "Framing Colonialism: An Analysis of Kent Monkman’s mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People)," The Confluence: Vol. 1: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.62608/2150-2633.1029
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theconfluence/vol1/iss2/5

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License