Journey - Monica Gilles-Brings Yellow
48”h x 47”w
Mural print: Mixed media collage (resin, acrylic paint, marker, gold leaf) based off a historical photo from the Flathead Reservation, reprinted on aluminum composite
Hanger free and customizable for any hanging or framing system. Weatherized print suitable for indoor or outdoor display.
Art Statement: When thinking about the theme of “Emerge” my mind wandered, as it often does, to the story of the Bitterroot Salish. The Salish- after heated negotiations, forged documents, and outright fraud were removed from their ancestral homes in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys and were forced to move to the Flathead Reservation via the US Government. Once on the Reservation the members of the newly formed Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes had to forge a new existence. Some of the old traditions and old ways remained, but the Tribes also were forced to navigate life in ways that were vastly different than what they had known before. Those ancestors and relatives created a new way of being in the face of unprecedented obstacles and extreme pressures. The decisions that they made then created the culture and resilience that we see today. While there are no comparisons that can be made regarding hardships encountered during the Reservation Era to this time period, I believe that there are lessons that can be learned. Due to many factors (Corona Virus, racial injustice, access to healthcare etc.) our society is under stress. Due to these stressors, it has become apparent that some of the old systems and ways of being may no longer be possible for us to continue to use. In a parallel to the experience of the Tribes after Removal, we are being compelled to decide what parts of our society need to change for us to survive and which parts we should fight to preserve. Essentially, we are in a moment where we must “emerge” into what we will become. In homage to the experience of the Bitterroot Salish, Native American people in general, and the experience we are living in today, I created the painting Journey. Journey depicts a group of Salish people leaving the area around Hellgate Canyon (Sncxlmnwextn) ready to emerge in a new destination.
48”h x 47”w
Mural print: Mixed media collage (resin, acrylic paint, marker, gold leaf) based off a historical photo from the Flathead Reservation, reprinted on aluminum composite
Hanger free and customizable for any hanging or framing system. Weatherized print suitable for indoor or outdoor display.
Art Statement: When thinking about the theme of “Emerge” my mind wandered, as it often does, to the story of the Bitterroot Salish. The Salish- after heated negotiations, forged documents, and outright fraud were removed from their ancestral homes in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys and were forced to move to the Flathead Reservation via the US Government. Once on the Reservation the members of the newly formed Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes had to forge a new existence. Some of the old traditions and old ways remained, but the Tribes also were forced to navigate life in ways that were vastly different than what they had known before. Those ancestors and relatives created a new way of being in the face of unprecedented obstacles and extreme pressures. The decisions that they made then created the culture and resilience that we see today. While there are no comparisons that can be made regarding hardships encountered during the Reservation Era to this time period, I believe that there are lessons that can be learned. Due to many factors (Corona Virus, racial injustice, access to healthcare etc.) our society is under stress. Due to these stressors, it has become apparent that some of the old systems and ways of being may no longer be possible for us to continue to use. In a parallel to the experience of the Tribes after Removal, we are being compelled to decide what parts of our society need to change for us to survive and which parts we should fight to preserve. Essentially, we are in a moment where we must “emerge” into what we will become. In homage to the experience of the Bitterroot Salish, Native American people in general, and the experience we are living in today, I created the painting Journey. Journey depicts a group of Salish people leaving the area around Hellgate Canyon (Sncxlmnwextn) ready to emerge in a new destination.
*** We appreciate your support of the Allez program and Allez artists. Please understand your purchase is a weather-resistant outdoor art piece displayed in an urban environment for public enjoyment for the duration of the exhibit. Normal wear and tear of an outdoor art piece should be expected. There are special inherent risks, such as, mother nature, accidents, vandalism that could compromise the artwork. Allez will make every effort to protect the work during exhibition and will be available “as is” at the conclusion of the exhibit.