KC Adams:
breaking stereotypes

by Heather Belot

Indian princess. Noble savage. Halfbreed. Drunken Indian.

These are some of the words — and the stereotypes — KC Adams wants to render powerless through her art.

At first glance, Adams’s Cyborg Hybrid images appear to be stereotypical glamour magazine poses, but closer examination reveals that the models do not fit into orthodox notions of beauty, and that the slogans on their t-shirts read “I’m on Indian Time” or “Authority on all Aboriginal Issues”.

The National Gallery of Canada recently purchased 20 pieces from the Cyborg Hybrid series for their permanent collection, and Adams’s work has graced the covers of several Canadian art publications in the past year.

Adams credits The Banff Centre with inspiring some of her formative experiences as an artist. She describes where she’s come from and how the Centre shaped her career.

What kind of pressures have you faced as an artist with Aboriginal and Scottish ancestry?

Since I was young I grew up recognizing that I was mixed. When I moved to Winnipeg I was identified as being Aboriginal. Manitoba has a specific Métis culture which is part French, my heritage is part Scottish so saying I was Métis wasn’t really accurate. It was hard to identify who I was.

In the summer of 2003, I was getting fed up with people labeling me as an Aboriginal artist, like I was an authority on all Aboriginal issues even though I knew nothing really about my own cultural history. I was even pressured to create art that had Aboriginal themes.

I started beading white t-shirts with white beads just before arriving in Banff in 2003. Beaded phrases on the shirts included “Ask Me About My Sweetgrass” and “Indian Princess”. I was trying to devalue stereotypical phrases, to make them powerless.

My second time in Banff I took photographs for the rest of the Cyborg Hybrid Banff Series. I wanted the images to look consistent, for the whiteness to really come out, for them to look perfect and beautiful like glamour magazines. The media continually links Aboriginal people to the past. I was trying to bring them into the future. So, I put them in the context of today, our present. I did this using the idea of the cyborg.

Your art often touches on the idea of cyborgs. What does this mean to you?

My work is influenced by Donna Haraway who created The Cyborg Manifesto, which presents a model for the new feminist, free of stereotypes, living creatively, and being influenced by technology. My art enabled me to merge the two concepts. I saw myself as a cyborg. People are always carrying around something digital these days. In my mind a cyborg really represents anyone who is linked to technology.

Who else has inspired your work?

Cheryl L’Hirondelle and Faye Heavyshield have influenced me in many ways. When I arrived at The Banff Centre in 2001, I was roommates with Cheryl. She brought me out of my Aboriginal closet and gave me permission to investigate my own cultural history. I began to realize that I was a direct product of residential schools, and an example of the impact residential schools can have on a family years later. I wasn’t allowed to know where I came from, and I wasn’t comfortable with myself.

Faye Heavyshield also inspired me. I first saw her speak when I was a student at Concordia, I loved her work. It wasn’t until I arrived in Banff years later that I met her and realized how truly brilliant she is. Through her example, she showed me that to create great work you don’t have to be loud, you can be humble. She is my favourite artist. Her quietness, strength, and beauty have been a huge influence on me.

What impact has the Centre had on your art?

Coming to The Banff Centre changed my life. I was at a crossroads and Banff’s Visual Arts programs gave me clarity from an artistic and personal point of view. I met curators and artists from around the world. I also elevated my own artistic practice. The focus on Aboriginal programming at The Banff Centre is amazing. The Centre creates its own standards and recognizes the importance of diversity in the arts.

When I came to the Centre this year I was at another crossroads. The Banff Centre was there to help me make the decisions I needed to make. By the time, I left I had decided to become an artist full time. … I headed back to Winnipeg at the end of the residency calm and happy, but a bit nervous about my new decision.

What kind of response have you had to your recent work?

When I was showing my work at the University of Manitoba someone wrote “racist” across my exhibition posters. I thought “this is great”, it creates discussion and dialogue. When I show the series to Aboriginal people they start laughing and realize how ridiculous it is to have those stereotypes placed upon them. Non-Aboriginal people who saw the exhibition have loved it; others have thought it was offensive. I’m really happy with the outcomes.

For more information about KC Adams’ work, go to www.kcadams.net

(left to right) INDIAN PRINCESS Cyborg Hybrid KC (visual artist), 2005; ASK ME ABOUT MY SWEETGRASS Cyborg Hybrid Jen (film maker), 2005; Cyborg Hybrid Accessories: Laptop, LED Pen, USB Bracelet and LED Choker, 2007.

Published: July 2007.