Strong Unrelenting Spirits
Sept. 8 - Oct. 15, 2023
The Photographs of Tom Jones
Tom Jones’ work is rooted in his Ho-Chunk identity. These stark and stunning large-scale color portraits provide insight into the pride, strength and beauty of the Ho Chunk people. Each work is embellished with intricate beadwork incorporating traditional floral and geometric patterns that serve as a metaphor for the presence of the ancestors that continuously watch over the people.
Tom Jones is an acclaimed artist, curator and educator. His artwork is a commentary on identity, culture appropriation, experience and perception within Native America. He raises questions about these depictions of identity by non-natives and Natives alike. His work is an ongoing photographic essay on the contemporary life of his tribe, the Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin.
Jones co-authored the book “People of the Big Voice, Photographs of Ho-Chunk Families by Charles Van Schaick, 1879-1943.” He is the co-curator for the exhibition and contributing author to the book, “For a Love of His People: The Photography of Horace Poolaw” for the National Museum of the American Indian. He is currently working on a book about Ho-Chunk baskets.