I first encountered Sonny Assu’s work a few years ago as part of the Beat Nation exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. What struck me about his work was the fusion of traditional coastal motifs with pop sensibilities, which had the unique effect of presenting imagery that incorporated what is considered to be traditional First Nations iconography with familiar objects derived from a Western, consumer culture. Assu appropriates aspects of consumer culture as a means of exploring the impact of Western culture and colonialism on the culture, history and identity of First Nations in Canada, something that is well-represented in works such as “Ellipsis” and “Breakfast Series.”

With “Ellipsis,” Assu forged 136 vinyl records out of copper that served to represent the audio recordings taken during the early-twentieth century of coastal First Nations songs (and also represent the 136 years of the Indian Act at the time of the instillation), which at the time of their recording were prohibited from being sung in any context, apart from requests by anthropologists who wished to document the last remnants of First Nations cultures before their perceived (at the time) demise. What is reflected in the work, therefore, is the apprehension by many indigenous cultures to make available through mass produced technologies certain cultural traditions that might be appropriated or misused for purposes that are disrespectful. In addition, the work speaks out against the racist policies that the Canadian government has inflicted upon First Nations peoples for centuries, a theme that Assu explores in a number of works including “The Happiest Future” and “Product (RES).”

I was also intrigued by the works presented in the series iDrum and iPotlach, both of which explore the contentious relationship between digital technologies and First Nations oral traditions, which the tagline: “5000 Ancestors in Your Pocket” delivers in a perhaps less than subtle fashion.

To see more, and to read some of Assu’s intriguing artist statements, make your way to http://sonnyassu.com.