"They give in to the dark side."

Politicians often start out with good intentions. This is true for both natives and non-natives, alike. They get into politics with the idea that they can change the world and make it a better place. The fortunate few succeed in their mission. Many others, however, fail. They become enamored with ego and entranced with power.  

They give in to the dark side. They forget about the principles that define us as Aboriginal people. They ignore the wisdom of the elders and instead listen to the counsel of the lawyers. They cater to their family to keep their voter base intact. They ignore the state of our language and instead focus on the state of their bank account. They would rather sing the praises of their accomplishments than sing the songs of their ancestors. They lead us into treaty instead of leading us into unity. We know that this power is simply just a mask; a mask that can be removed to make them one with the people once again. 

Andy Everson on his Darth Vader print, Power

More Star Wars influenced prints by Andy Everson as he continues to use Lucas' characters as metaphors for a variety of aboriginal concerns and issues.  The new series includes Wisdom (Yoda), Fear (Darth Maul), Control (an Imperial Stormtrooper) and Power (Darth Vader.)  I find his comments regarding the Darth Vader print to be particularly evocative in their description of power as a mask.

Political questions aside, it fascinates me to see how many artists have turned from traditional artistic influences to basing their work on imagery from comic books, video games, and science fiction and fantasy movies and television programs.  Is this an inevitable and natural result of the prevalence of these pop culture icons in the lives of the current generation, or is the artistic community taking advantage of the geek chic factor? 

- Sid