Pride and Dignity

Excerpts from the Exhibition: Aboriginal Men

Madeleine's remarks - Sight Unseen

Do the portraits of aboriginal people document sight unseen? I argue YES because they consolidate the concept: SIGHT. Sight is, after all, the power of seeing, the act of seeing, it is a way of considering something in one's mind. Since I like to say that each mind is a world, in my sight, these photographs depict a beautiful, resilient and absorbing people. A sight is something worth seeing; a display; something odd, absurd or ugly to look at. For instance, what a sight Bear Bull looks in that top knot! Sight means a great deal. That is, we will be a sight better off when we have seen beyond these black-and-white walls that are tinged with colour. Finally, a sight is a device for guiding the eye when aiming a camera or a gun. Sight means to take careful aim.

Do these portraits of aboriginal people capture sight unseen? I argue NO because we resist the concept: UNSEEN and we lean heavily the other way. What is the outcome? We are seen, therefore, we are. Let's see! To see is to perceive with the eye, to form a mental image, to understand. We'll see when we can imagine the people in these photographs as having the capacity or character necessary for some specified activity or position. For example, can we see Native women as prostitutes at the turn of the century any more than we can see Shelley Niro as a Marilyn Monroe wanna be today? To see is to find out. When we leave here, we will have a better sense of when aboriginal people became intoxicated with the beer bottle. "The Gods Must Be Crazy!"

Are we attending to these photographs as spectators, examiners, reflective inquirers who are seeing despite the shroud, the flame and the smoke? Are we receiving the people in these photographs by making a mental note to see them now? Or do we try to perceive their true nature from the clothing, the bearing and the eyes, so we can see them home? No doubt we all applaud the artistic and telling sorting, arrangement, numbering, classification and description of these fine portraits. But it is only when we see through them that we have knowledge and experience of them. At this critical moment, we will have seen a lot of life. Theirs, yours and mine!

Madeleine Dion-Stout
Carleton University

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