Critical Review: Matika Wilbur's "We Emerge"

Beginning today, the University of Puget Sound’s Kittredge Gallery welcomes the work of Matika Wilbur – a native of the Tulalip/Swinomish tribe and emerging northwest photographer. Wilbur’s reception at Kittredge opens today, from 5:00-7:00 PM, and the exhibit plans to be shown until November 13^th, 2010. The particular collection currently featured at Kittredge is entitled “We Emerge,” and encompasses a series of large, black-and-white prints that aim to explore the duality of Native American identity. Wilbur’s work successfully evokes a feeling of questioning and uncertainty, while simultaneously establishing a clear message of pride in her native heritage.

Immediately upon entering the gallery, I feel confronted by Wilbur’s photos. The gallery’s white walls stand punctuated with giant, unframed photographs, most of which contain a pair of eyes that look directly back at me. The artist’s statement – a must-read before continuing on through the exhibit – provides an interesting, and well-written description of Wilbur’s intent with her collection. Themes of identity struggle float to the surface, and it is clear that Wilbur, a relatively young artist, has experienced her own identity crisis -- trying to find a place to belong within the thin, remaining pieces of her native culture.

Especially within today’s modern world, the clash between the traditional (and rapidly disappearing) lessons of Wilbur's tribe and that of the Western mind, complete with “stimulus packages,” is more than enough to inspire “We Emerge.” Wilbur underscores this conflict in multiple ways: both in the arrangement and subjects of her photographs, but also through their form. Her decision to present an exclusively black-and-white collection lends obvious emphasis to the theme of duality by presenting, through her chosen medium, such a classic color contrast.

Moving counter-clockwise around the gallery, the first picture I meet is that of a woman, dressed in what appears to be traditional tribal wear, covering her eyes next to a paved road. This particular piece is an interesting place to start, as it is the only photograph of the collection where the subject’s eyes are not visible. Compared to the other photographs, in which Wilbur hauntingly captures human eye contact, this initial piece – entitled “Beginning” – powerfully communicates a sense of fear, and perhaps unwillingness to confront the present, as a native woman in a largely artificial, “paved” country. The symbolism of the road is another effective visual cue, suggesting an inability to see where to go next.

While many of the photographs focus on a single human subject juxtaposed against a symbolic background, a few of them contain two subjects. One notable piece shows two women, one noticeably darker in skin tone than the other, sitting next to each other in identical physical orientation. Both pairs of feet nod inward, as if the women feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, and they each look outward, unsmiling. The title of the piece says it all: “Two Indians Enough to be Indian?” Almost immediately, differences in physical appearance between the subjects stand out, with skin color pronounced as a source of struggle. While the women outwardly appear to share little in common, Wilbur indicates that they might belong to the same tribe, or share some type of indigenous identity. Here, the artist seems to play with the assumptions of her audience, particularly on the topic of race and skin color. By bringing these factors into the collection’s “conversation,” Wilbur invites anyone who has ever felt an identity struggle motivated by race to join in, to feel a sense of understanding emanating from her artwork.

One of the most provocative photographs of the collection comes near the end of my circle through the gallery. Entitled “It Was a Gift,” the photograph’s subject stands, hands out-stretched, seemingly offering the viewer two ears of corn. Moving up to view the subject’s face, however, presents a different, contrary emotion – a look of disappointment, sadness, and anger. The woman in the photo even appears to be tearing up – endowing the portrait with a much deeper, realistic level of emotion. Aligning with multiple other pieces in the collection, “It Was a Gift” confronts the viewer with piercing eye contact from the photo’s subject. Without trying, I am consumed with feelings of guilt, along with an unpredictable, and surprising level of understanding and empathy.

It is this “relationship” between viewer and subject that truly speaks to the power of Wilbur’s work. As a photographer, Wilbur has brought her own struggle with identity through to her audience, provoking the questioning of not only personal, but national identity as well. By presenting at-times harsh, yet profoundly human images, Wilbur is able to beautifully emphasize both a pride in her difference – as a remaining tribal member – but also her “sameness” as a human being on this planet. It is here where Wilbur’s search for identity can be met by those from a variety of backgrounds, working to discover the same sense of belonging. In addition, Wilbur’s images offer a feeling of support for anyone in search of identity: through the palpable sense of pride Wilbur feels, other similarly conflicted identities, whatever their form, will hopefully be inspired by Wilbur’s perseverance with her own.

Kittredge Gallery is open from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM, Monday through Friday. On Saturday, the gallery is open from Noon-5:00 PM. The gallery is located on the University’s campus, at North 15^th and North Lawrence Street, in Tacoma’s North End neighborhood. To find out more about upcoming shows or featured artists, the gallery can be reached at 253-879-3701 or online at www.pugetsound.edu/kittredge.