Exhibition in collaboration with the Creative Intelligence Lecture Series
Feb. 1-March 12
Here We Stand celebrates the life and career of Tom Jones, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation whose photographs are personal expressions steeped in communal responsibility. Following in the tradition of the Ho-Chuck Nation, Jones emphasizes the collective over the individual. His photographic work is his community.
Jones’ foundational body of work, The Ho-Chunk People, utilizes an uncompromisingly realist approach to capture tribal members in everyday activities. By deliberately including contemporary elements, Jones counteracts the romanticized, staged images of historic photographers like Edward S. Curtis. As a university professor and the de facto “in-house” photographer for the Ho-Chunk Nation, his work serves as a unique, ongoing archive of his tribe’s customs. He takes a contemporary approach to photography, at times blending traditional native techniques such as mixed-media beadwork and using historical imagery to confront specific systemic issues, effectively taking control of the narrative and extending his educator role to a broad audience.
Associated Programming
- Artist Talk — Feb. 25, 6 p.m. in Morlan Gallery
- Exhibition Reception — Feb. 26, 5 p.m. in Morlan Gallery