Victoria Ransom

We told you last week that Victoria Ransom’s art is being featured at AxeNeo7. This week we got a hold of Victoria to tell us about herself and her art. At this time, none of Victoria’s sculpture works will be for sale, but her paintings can be. She can also do commissions, and can be contacted at [email protected]. Again, her art can be seen at AxeNeo7, 80 Hanson Street, Gatineau (Québec) 819-771-2122. Hours: 12 to 5 Pm Wednesday to Sunday.

IT: Do you have any plans after graduation?

VR: I plan on doing an extra year at the University of Ottawa to finish another degree. By 2014 I’ll have an Honours Major in Aboriginal Studies and a Minor in Political Science.

IT: Are you going to continue with art?

VR: Although I will be continuing school in a different field, I do plan to continue with my art. I will be sharing a studio in Ottawa with other Indigenous artists from October to March and I hope to create a substantial amount of work for more commissions and gallery exhibitions.

IT: How did you get your work in the show?

VR: I was documenting my solo exhibition at the student run gallery on campus, when the curator of AxeNeo7 strolled in. She was impressed with my work and gave the opportunity. I guess it was just a series of serendipities.

IT: What is your favorite piece and why?

VR: I see all the pieces as one united piece, but I would have to say my favourite piece would be the table. It’s a unique piece. It’s a found object covered in red squares, but unlike the rest, I covered the top in a fur.

IT: Do you have any advice for up coming artists?

VR: Continue doing what you love. Experiment with different mediums and conceptual underpinnings of your work. Do not be afraid to put yourself out there.

Victoria sent us what she calls her “Artist Statement”:

In my work I reveal and give voice to social and political Indigenous issues. Through engaging and challenging my viewers I lay down the foundations to awaken the public to Indigenous discourse in hopes to continue a dialogue between Indigenous peoples and people of other heritages to address and deal with long standing problematic issues. As well as a therapeutic process in which I allow myself to create a critical discourse in decolonization towards self-identification.

I speak on many Indigenous issues through a plethora of mediums including; sculpture, installation, painting and performance. These mediums are most appropriate to express my concepts because each medium’s characteristics can interact with my viewers in ways that best correlates to the given concept. The recurring themes in my works centre on Aboriginal iconic imagery and the use of red; a colour representing my People on the Medicine Wheel, this allows me to explore issues of identity, my history, and decolonization. I also appropriate found objects to critique negative preconceived notions of colonialism and Indigenous standing, which presently continues to be perpetuated without question. Covering these found objects in red clothing I reveal the concealed imperialistic tactics of the destruction of whole Indigenous Nations. The red also signifies the many diverse Nations that have been put under the blanket term of Indian, a term that is foreign to my People.

Many of my works revolved around the effects of the Indian Act, a piece of Canadian legislation which was enacted to oppress every aspect of my Peoples life, in a attempt to destroy our spirit, the original inhabitants. Today, this piece of legislation still exists and continues to oppress First Nations Peoples throughout what is now called Canada. My art speaks to the Indian Act and how it has affected my personal experiences, my family, friends and those from my community. Each piece embodies elements of oppression, coercion, sovereignty, and identity to display another perception that most of Canadian society is completely oblivious to.

Ultimately, I would like viewers of my work to question the settler within them. My work can be interpreted as expressing a subjugated perspective to add layers to society’s uncontested assumptions.