ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Date Collected

Collector

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Current Location

Accession Number

Description

Pair of beaded cardboard moccasins. The sole and outside body are made from stitched together pieces of light brown paper from a beer case. The case’s perforations can be seen in the paper, and spots of adhesive remain. The toe-top is made from the red title labels of the case, and small, white glass beads have been sewn on in decorative patterns. The inside of each moccasin is lined with dark blue denim which is attached to the body with red stitching along the top.

Narrative

From a series of 'urban moccasins' made by the artist. Duffek noticed them when they were featured at the Grunt Gallery, and later at Gallery Gachet (both in Vancouver). The artist's statement about this series: "My work concerns memory and expression of Aboriginal identity, where materials carry social and cultural significance. My moccasins focus upon the commodity aspect of Aboriginal culture and selling an idealized First Nations body. Issues of racism and marginalization are exposed in the works, presenting a realistic rather than romanticized reality for Aboriginal peoples. I reinvent typical Native objects sold to tourists, such as the moccasin, and combine them with personal comments on urban living for aboriginal peoples. The moccasins tell stories of power relations, loss of culture, and finding personal strength."