Painting
David Andree’s research investigates our collectively complicated relationship to land through creative site-specific intervention utilizing painting, sculpture and sound. As an actively affiliated tribal member of the Red Lake Nation of Ojibwe, he is interested in exploring the histories and significance of land to indigenous peoples of the Americas which are intertwined with colonization, land rights, cultural and ecological preservation. He develops novel processes which aim to elevate the subject of land provocatively, such as site-specific folding paintings that record their own history, fleeting temporarily frozen sculptural forms, or custom instruments that generate musical compositions from actions in the landscape.
At the Anderson Center, David worked on two site-specific projects: Interface Painting and Land Harps. The Interface Paintings are segmented sculptural paintings that conform their shape to the landscape that they are set upon. The surfaces are layered with the colors and shapes of the natural context that they have appeared informing a sort of site-specific camouflage. The Land Harp project is an installation involving an instrument of piano wire stretched in moving water to create musical compositions. Each project is aimed to elevate the qualities of the
area while simultaneously acknowledging the complexities of its history and the indigenous significance it holds. I propose to complete new work in each project only made possible with sustained access to the meaningful location, in the form of paintings, audio recordings, and documentary photography, for future exhibition and publication. During his residency David hosted an open studio and artist demonstrations during the 2024 Red Wing Area Studio Tour.