Cultural Appropriation

I've been thinking about this for years. The idea of cultural appropriation as it relates to art and music, specifically First Nations art. It's such a difficult subject to tackle but I'm going to try.

I won't be the first to say it but I will corroborate. As an artist I steal ideas constantly. Oh! Those colours put together like that are sweet. That type of linework is amazing. That perspective is wild and unconventional.

I remember seeing Todd McFarlane’s art for the first time and feeling surprised, intrigued, and deeply moved by it. It was so different than the Spider-Man artwork I was used to seeing. Inspiring. I wanted to be Todd McFarlane. But I kind of sucked as an artist of that type back then and wasn't willing to put in the work. I was 16. So, I didn't become Todd McFarlane, but it stuck with me, this idea that I wanted to emulate his style.

I was also surrounded by high quality First Nations artistry in the form of masks and prints and originals. It was the art my father brought home and what decorated our walls growing up. I remember feeling proud of it, finding it beautiful and moving and identifying culturally with the art. This was art I also wanted to emulate but for different reasons, some aesthetic, some cultural which had a resonance from a deep place inside me.

In the 80s and 90s, cultural appropriation as it related to art wasn't on my radar. It wasn't until well into the 2000’s that I started to ponder it. Do we own ideas? Do we own artistic styles? What's the reason for creating? Is it to bridge gaps or does it create them? Where do we as First Nations people take a stand and why?

All these things flittered and continue to flit through my brain.

What’s the answer then? I think it's complex and must be made up of a number of opinions. Those who feel deeply violated by cultural appropriation - their story is real and their opinion is honest and needs to be considered, valued, and responded to with curiosity and kindness. Cultural appropriation is harmful. I also think that there is evolution, respectful artistic exploration, and the very real inspiration we take from something beautiful, at times wanting to mimic, emulate, and add to the creative space that has occurred. My exposure to Todd McFarlane did that. It's how Paul Simon created Graceland. It's how the beautiful music Mumford and sons created collectively with Laura Marling and the dharohar project.

https://youtu.be/atyCTf03M6E

So, what I think I'm saying, at least today, is that a variety of opinions on cultural appropriation exist in the broader First Nations community and if we value the person in front of us, curiosity is the best approach. Real curiosity. Why do you feel that way? How has this affected you? Is there something I can do to better this impact? How can I support you here? Curiosity and empathy around charged subjects has always served me well, because opinions abound and individuals have different experiences with the same inputs.

I would say then, that the conversations, the arguments, and the emotional fields that exist as it relates to this and similar subjects are necessary for future equity, equality, and evolution.