Kent Monkman

Book excerpt: Kent Monkman's new, large-scale project takes the viewer on a journey through Canada's history that starts in the present and takes us back to 150 years before Confederation. With its entry points in the harsh urban environment of Winnipeg's north end, and contemporary life on the reserve, Kent Monkman: Shame and Prejudice, A Story of Resilience takes us all the way back to the period of New France and the fur trade. The Rococo masterpiece The Swing by Jean-Honore ́ Fragonard has been reinterpreted as an installation with Monkman's alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, in a beaver trimmed baroque dress, swinging back and forth between the Generals Wolfe and Montcalm. The book includes Monkman's own paintings, drawings and sculptural works, in dialogue with historical artefacts and art works borrowed from museum and private collections from across Canada.