Rolande Souliere - click thumbnails to view images
Nathalie Ball
Circa Indian
May 15th - June 20th 2009
Natalie Ball's exhibition "Circa Indian" is specific to the place and history of her people in relation to the historical impact of visual and textual narratives. Addressing issues of authenticity, from questioning the role of blood quantum and tribal belonging to practices of ethnographic portraiture, Ball examines internal and external discourses that shape Indigenous identities. Painted textiles partnered with figurative sculpture via hand made dolls are utilized to move "Indian" outside of mainstream discourses in order to construct a new visual genealogy that questions the normalized expectations of Native American identity.
Natalie Ball is an emerging, Portland based Aboriginal artist (Modoc/Klamath). Ball is the great great granddaughter of Kintpuash (Captain Jack). Her own genealogy informs her attempts to unsettle old foundations by loosening ideological attachments belonging to race and experience by moving history outside of hegemonic discourses. Her work invites participation in a new auto-ethnographic narrative, a new history and a new manifestation for a critical way to understand America.Ball holds a BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon and a Master's in Maori and Indigenous Visual Arts from Massey University, New Zealand. She has exhibited in the US, New Zealand, and Europe.
