"Love & Guts" A solo cholo exhibition.

"every piece of real art,

made for the sake of making real art, is a declaration of loveand guts." -T. C. Cannon The title for this exhibit came from this quote. T.C. Cannon was one of the greatest painters of the 20th century and was perhaps one of the greatest artists of all time. I had the good fortune to be invited to see all iterations of the monumental exhibition "T.C. Cannon: At the Edge of America" which was organized by the Peabody Essex Museum and curated by the stellar Karen Kramer. Some of the absolute greatest moments of my life have revolved around Cannon's work. I was inspired back in 2002 when I saw his early student work at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These early paintings from his days at the Institute of American Indian Arts were brave, bold and experimental. This has been a template that I have diligently followed since I encountered those pieces all those years ago. It was simply a matter of time for me to use these striking words as an apt title for a solo show of my work. The title is also a nod to all those incredible moments that unfolded in front of Cannon's paintings. The pieces were on view at the DIY space La Chancla, a DIY space in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Located in the historic Barelas Neighborhood, La Chancla is housed in the same space that was once the Small Engine Gallery, a notable independent venue in Albuquerque. This work was primarily created during my time as a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, from approximately 2018 to 2020. The process of working on a MFA can be grueling, one that forces an artist to challenge their methods and ideas. I was forced to consider where my work fits into a larger context, and to look inward, toward my family history. This history is loaded with artists, the predecessors who paved my way. People speak of “standing on the shoulders of giants.” I called these giants, Grandma, Mom, Uncle and brother. I also came to realize that there were giants at OU as well. Chief Terry Saul, Dick West Sr. and Oscar Howe all faced moments of a similar nature, having to find a voice and vision that met their moments in time. What does this have to do with this body of work? Everything and nothing all at once. Care to say, each moment has a different context that shapes the meaning. My experiences in the 21st century can be wildly different from what Oscar Howe faced, and still there is overlap. Oscar Howe was able to call upon the art history of his Dakota people to create the intense abstractions that mistakenly are associated with Cubism. I have no doubt he was aware of the paintings of Braque and Picasso, but he found his voice looking at the painting traditions of his people. There is a bit of a chronological order to my paintings. In the beginning the Star Quilt motif led to a series of pieces I named “Stellar Regions” after the John Coltrane album of the same name. Lakota cosmology is tied to the stars as well. This is a direct reference to my late Mother Olivia Skenandore who was a Lakota doll maker. I introduced a symbol that was a stand in for my Grandmother Rose Kerstetter and her Oneida pottery. In one of the last pieces painted on large unstretched canvas, I added my interpretation of one of my Uncle Fritzes bronze sculptures, an expressionistic skull. To top it all off is a subtle nod to my late brother, anywhere you find Style Writing elements it is an artform we both loved. I had no idea that this work would eventually be a tribute to so many loved ones who have passed on. The current global pandemic kept this work from being shown to all but a few, my MFA committee and one kind heart who took time to see the pieces in person (socially distanced of course). It was the opportunity of a lifetime to show this work in Albuquerque, a place where I spent much of my formative years. It was a special kind of homecoming, and to have had this work shown in an independent space made it doubly so. Many of those formative years were spent painting graffiti and murals, making public art, going to house shows, and spending countless hours in the underground playground that is Burque. This crazy city had been a hot spot of creativity, the indie art scene is a fixture of this deranged metropolis. My artistic practice was born in the streets of this city, so it was a special treat to share this work here. I want to take a moment to thank and recognize the individuals who helped make all this possible. Thank you to my MFA committee, especially to Marwin Begaye and Jackson Rushing for their pointed observations and especially Marwin for all the laughter as well. Thank you to heather ahtone for all your kind words and for taking time out to help guide my thesis into something manageable, dare I say sensible. Wopila Thanka to my Mother Olivia, while she didn’t live long enough to see the show, I know she was with me. To my little brother Tatoka Fritz “Wezul” John Skenandore, we stay Ghetto Bombing forever. To my Grandmother Rose who recently returned to the ancestors, thank you for your love and for gifting all us grandchildren a love for our Oneida culture. Respect and love supreme to the Ray of Light that shone while all this work was made, your time and love was priceless. Huge big ups massive to Adri and Bethany, thanks for rolling the dice on hosting my work and for your absolute badassery. Pilamaye to all who took time to come to the opening or made time to see the show one-on-one. Finally thank you to my Pops, as well as my two kiddos you make all the madness in this world worth traversing. All images/paintings ©Hoka Skenandore 2023. Express permission must be given to use any of this writing or the photos contained in this blog and in each post. Unauthorized use will result in a beat down... Burque Style.