Rihkee Strap

Statement

I am interested in history, and power.  The discarded stories that linger ambiguously in objects found on the side of the road.  These artifacts inspire fantastic narratives within me.  I am interested in what history is kept and what is discarded; how it is presented and communicated; the legacy left behind.

My work is very site-specific;  my personal and professional involvement in the surrounding community feeds  creation or appropriation of a process, and often collected refuse from these places becomes integrated into the works themselves.  

Bio

I was born in Red Lake, a small town in Northern Ontario.  When I was young I remember my grandmother’s house being full of prints by the Woodlands artists of the Triple-K Cooperative, a local silk screen collective that operated during the 70s, although I wouldn’t understand their significance until later.

After its inception I lived within and was a part of the Arcadia Project, a “social sculpture” operated by Matt Ceolin and situated in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.  This period of time was profound for my own artistic development and for the community at large.  After the Arcadia Project closed in September of 2009, there has been an outgrowth of creative projects frantically attempting to compensate.

In Febuary of 2010, I acquired property to aid my level of production.  It is now referred to as The Medicine Factory studio which continues to operate independent of my influence.   Groups of individuals like the Triple K Cooperative now standout to me as benchmark for self-determination in the North.

I have since returned to Red Lake to study my heritage, and currently work at the Red Lake Regional Heritage Centre as the cataloguing assistant intern. 

Contact:   rihkeestrap@gmail.com
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