The Rain Dance

Tim Laurin, Rain Dance, 2012

In many ways, this self-portrait was the first in the Cowboy and Indian series.  An other part of my family originates from Quebec, so I saw myself as this saucy egg cup, complete with a dandy beret.  As a youngster, I took accordion lessons - that hand on the keyboard represents my first introduction to the arts, luckily I soon realized I was better suited for visuals.  The partial native head dress, taken from the album cover of "Annie Get Your Gun, is there to imply my native past as well as the stero-typical ways that "indians" have been portrayed.  I felt an overwhelming urge to tear away parts of the print, and I believe this urge was meant to describe the hidden past that I am trying to uncover.

A small print - 12 by 10 inches, on Gampi paper and uses a technique I call phototype.  I have also incorporated ink washes and have drawn on top of the image with dry media.