Amy Cordova
(American, b. 1953)
The Inheritance
1993
acrylic and oil pastel on paper, 40 x 64”
Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation Purchase
Like so many people in contemporary America,
Amy Cordova’s cultural background is mixed – in her case,
a combination of Chicano, Native American, and European. Her ancestral
roots are in Taos, New Mexico, but she has lived in the midwest for
many years and her sons have grown up largely in the midwest. It
is important to her that her sons come to see and know the elements
of their Hispanic and Native American ancestry. As its title suggests,
The Inheritance is about transmission of images, memories and beliefs
of an ancestral culture, on to the next generation. Cordova based
this large, two-panel drawing on her own Native American ancestors.
The symbolic elements, such as the corn, wolf’s skin, raven,
antlers, fish, bird, and snake, are literally a part of the figures’ bodies,
underscoring Cordova’s belief in the power of traditional cultural
knowledge, and its importance to living peoples.
“
I believe in the interconnectedness of all things. My lifelong interest
in the traditions, stories and art of various cultures combined with
a deep love of the natural world, has shaped the art I make and the
life I lead. I attempt to bridge cultural barriers by exploring concepts
of our common ground – states of emotion and central images
such as lover, healer, elders, the natural world – which provide
strong connecting roots for my work.”
— Amy Cordova |
