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• 1 media/2022.4.1.jpg media/2022.4.1.jpg 2022-12-08T18:39:32+00:00 The United States of Amnesia II by Gerald Clarke 6 image_header 2022-12-08T22:04:11+00:00 Gerald Clarke is an artist and an Assistant Professor of Ethnic Studies at UCR from the Cahuilla Band of Mission Indians. Combining various media in his sculptures, paintings, works on paper, videos, performances, and installations, Clarke is inspired by his cultural heritage, expressing traditional ideas in contemporary forms. Clarke works against stereotypes of Native American art and culture, repurposing found objects and creating clever juxtapositions to make profound political statements. Utilizing humor to expose historical and present-day prejudice and injustice, Clarke brings a decolonial perspective to urgent cultural and political issues facing our world.
  

  "Using immigration data and maps from the Internet, I projected maps representing immigration settlement patterns onto paper and stamped the names of the country of origin onto the paper using a rubber stamp. England, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Russia to name a few. The work took about 6 hours to complete and the "map" revealed itself over time. The current immigration debate puzzles me. Unless you're Native, you come from immigrants." - Gerald Clarke

  
  
  What gives this artwork its form is not what you think. Stamping each country individually, Gerald Clarke, a member of the Cahuilla tribe, created an alternate history of the United States through past immigrants’ countries of origin. Clarke explained, “The work took about six hours to complete and the ‘map’ revealed itself over time. The current immigration debate puzzles me. Unless you're Native, you come from immigrants." In every corner of the States, you can find a different place shaped by the people who have settled there. By emphasizing various countries of origin, Clarke highlights the immigrant diversity in America while presenting a new perspective on the American demographic.