Sunday 4 May 2014

Bunky Echo-Hawk

Acrylic Paintings


Bunky Echo-Hawk is a Native American artist who aims to show the current state of native america through his artwork. He is known for his often humorous paintings, but they also carry a deeper meaning.
These particular pieces of Shrek characters in Native American garb may seem silly at first, but the deeper meaning behind them is shown when you begin to look at the very nature of them being a fusion between an American fictitious cinema character, and a very much real culture. Shrek is a purely fictitious character of American cinema and is watched purely for entertainment, and not learning of any kind. Native Americans have become portrayed in a similar way in cinema, and through time the 'Native American' shown on screen has become just as fake and made up as Shrek is. The Indians seen in modern films are nothing like they are in reality, they are based heavily upon stereotype in order to make a more entertaining film. The fusion of Shrek and Native America creates an image that shows the lack of differentiation between the two, that both are just as unbelievable in cinema and in the public eye.
I think Echo-Hawk is trying to show how absurd this combination is, and how wrong it is that something as serious and rich as Native American culture should be distorted to the point of becoming fiction. This fusion of old and new, of seriousness and comedy, is something I would like to explore in my work.
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