Donna House and TRUMAN LOWE
Wisconsin artist Truman Lowe has long been influenced by his surroundings. Growing up in the Ho-Chunk community of Black River Falls, Lowe was raised with the undulating rhythms and rewarding landscape of the Wisconsin River. Lowe’s artwork--utilizing wood, feathers, and reeds, among other materials-- references the landscape and its impact on the artist. When Lowe decided to work with Navajo and Oneida Ethnobotanist Donna House for Between the Lakes, the two individuals knew from the beginning that their collaboration would address the loss of life and culture that marks the history of this landscape and the rest of the country.
In their collaborative installation, a tree stands as the central element. At once referencing the past and leaning towards the future, the tree is a pillar in the gallery representing steadfastness and perseverance. The willowy leaves of tree, made from vellum but reminiscent of ribbon appliqué, are ghostlike and based on the handiwork of Lowe’s mother. Two baskets, representing the past and the present, demonstrate both Ho-Chunk and Oneida craftsmanship. Each one contains various elements relating to the life of today and the life forever lost to us. Rice, tubers, cranberries, corn, and the paper of songs show the past we can only barely access, and the second shows us various examples of metal and plastic objects that structure our lives from mobile phones and coca-cola bottles to toy cars and GPS units. The elegiac elements of the installation make us think about the loss of life and experience that underlies the existence of our own culture.