Details
The artwork on view in this exhibition is from Boyd’s Deconstructed Freedom series, a body of work spanning years of creation. It illustrates a history of events that changed the landscape of California, beginning with Spanish settlement in 1769, running through the so-called “discovery” of gold in 1848, and following the resultant displacement and relocation of the Indigenous people living here. The works in this exhibition seek to raise awareness of that history and the impact of power and greed. They emphasize the blood, sweat, and tears shed by Indigenous peoples who have endured threats to their lives and cultures. In taking account, this work attempts to reconstruct the freedoms of nations whose sovereignty has been infringed upon.
About the Artist
A native Californian and descendant of the Cahuilla Band of Indians, artist Eric Jon Boyd creates mixed media work that takes account of history and culture from an Indigenous perspective. His unique layering technique exudes emotion through the juxtaposition of different textures, colors, and images, incorporating wood, metal, fabric, acrylic, and imagery from popular media sources. Boyd infuses numerology and ancient symbolism into many of his pieces, paying tribute to every culture’s higher power and the Indigenous origins of his career. Boyd was commissioned by Chief Joe Dan Osceola of the Seminole tribe to create a private collection based on Deconstructed Freedom. About his work, Boyd says, “my passion is curation and storytelling. Through the creative process, authenticity reigns supreme when representing lifestyle and culture.”
“I want those who experience the exhibition to be left with a sense of empathy and awareness towards the trials and tribulations that the Californian Indigenous cultures have endured.” – Eric Jon Boyd
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