Critical Analysis Process: Ken Monkman's 'Saving the Newcomers'

Ken Monkman gives us another perspective of the land we call "North America"

Welcoming the Newcomers Acrylic on Canvas, Ken Monkman © 2023

When I majored in Fine Arts Cultural Studies back in the early 2000s, I was primarily shown one perspective of culture that shaped us - European. Though European may be the dominant culture that shapes us, people like Ken Monkman is changing our cultural narrative through art. Monkman invites us to see North America or Turtle Island from another point of view. This insight allows viewers to be more critical of our dominant culture and consider how it has affected others.

"Welcoming the Newcomers and Resurgence of the People, portray the historical and contemporary relationships between Indigenous peoples and newcomers to Turtle Island through charged allegorical encounters (Monkman, Instagram)." Being fairly new to contemporary Indigenous art, I am up for the challenge to analyze such works.

In one of my courses called Teaching Visual Arts in the Intermediate-Senior Division we are being taught to analyze art through a critical lens through the critical analysis process. It has been many years since I've done this, but it's great practice to get the cogs working again. It is especially important to use this lens when teaching the intermediate and senior grades.

The following are the steps to my critical analysis:

Initial Reaction

The composition is reminiscent of Delacriox’s Liberty Leading the People. The painting style presents itself to by a hybrid of contemporary art to eighteenth to nineteenth century French Romanticism. Delaciox’s painting Liberty Leading the People is a French revolution painting that depicts people of all social classes coming together to fight for freedom. In comparison, the Indigenous people in Monkman’s painting, have come together to help the “newcomers” or Europeans and their fight for safety from the ocean waters.

The piece may puzzle some viewers as to why the Indigenous people are helping the “newcomers” when, based on history, many know the outcome of their nearly extinction of their culture and race.

The beautiful yet unsettling imagery make the viewer to be drawn to the beautiful colours and the sense of dynamism. The classical triangular composition is classic which draws the audience into the piece. The beauty of colour, texture and composition, contrasted with the tense content makes 'Saving the Newcomers' a painting to be reckoned with. It still leaves us wondering why the Indigenous people are helping the Europeans to safety.

Analysis and Interpretation

Monkman's use of vibrant colours allows the viewer to be drawn into a rather tense situation. His use of colour to distinguish the skin colour of White Europeans to the tanned Indigenous people is very apparent. The shape of the rock in which people are situated is a triangle allowing the viewer's eye to start from the water then wander up to the peak of the rock. Textures play an important role here as the lines in the rock depicts it as a hard rough surface, while the wave of the water, though beautiful in colour is far from serene. The ways the waves are painted implies that the water is rough, thus prompting the Indigenous people to save the 'Newcomers'.

The overall theme appears to be around the push and pull-like relationship between the First Nations and Europeans. The artist is taking the viewer on an uncomfortable journey to the start, middle and ongoing saga of this (often) turbulent relationship. He dares the audience to wander into the world of cultural genocide, resistance, and trauma and informs his audience of the trial and tribulations he and his ancestors endure in hopes that his future children can heal from the past and our present.

Cultural Context

The social, political and historical events that influenced this piece is based on European settlement in North America/Canada and its aftermath. Issue of colonization to cultural genocide are presented in this powerful piece while Romanticism influenced Monkman's painting style, as he depicts the juxtaposition of nature and beauty withe danger and tension.

The history of European settlement in North America/Canada and its aftermath influenced Kent Monkman’s work, Saving the Newcomers. While Monkman’s language of painting stems from Western art traditions, the themes are based around historic to contemporary Indigenous issues. These two influences seem to clash beautifully in this interesting juxtaposition of nature and beauty with danger and tension. While immersing the viewer in a contemporary take of the classical Romantic style, he takes them on an uncomfortable journey of the start of colonisation in 16th century Canada.

Monkman’s technical background is illustration, having graduated from Sheridan College in Toronto. And while there, he studied classical European art, which heavily influenced his painting Saving the Newcomers. His Cree upbringing and his knowledge of Indigenous history in Canada also a great force in this piece.

Formally taught classical painting techniques, his work contrasts from many traditional Indigenous art forms we typically know. But despite this, the message he sends to viewers is a reactive one: he expresses how First Nations people were and continue to be treated in Canada.

Ken Monkman. (2023). Biography. https://www.kentmonkman.com/biography