Exploring ‘Species Pending’
Hear from the O’Keeffe Museum’s 2024-2025 Mobile Artist in Residence Jamison Chās Banks to learn about the ongoing mobile exhibition project Species Pending.
Species Pending reimagines the historical narrative of shuvosaurid or proto-dinosaur Effigia okeeffeae, whose name is a tribute to Georgia O’Keeffe.
During this discussion, Banks describes how Species Pending examines the history of this animal through an Indigenous lens, which allows for a rewriting (or “re-righting”) of the fossil’s narrative with a more inclusive perspective. Using imagery, sculpture, and on-location research, Banks and fellow artist Animkeewa White Eagle aim to reinterpret how this fossil and animal is presented. Their work will be on view in a culminating mobile exhibition hosted by Axle Contemporary and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
—
This talk was recorded as part of our free ‘Mornings With O’Keeffe’ lecture series on the first Wednesday of every month.
About the Speaker:
Jamison Chās Banks is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates films, paintings, performances, and installations. A dual citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe and the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, his work often explores the history of war and territorial expansion, both literal and psychological. Banks often reimagines symbols or characters of popular culture in contexts that challenge their original meanings. Banks has been exhibiting work for more than a decade and holds an AFA and BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, where he also taught for 12 years.
