Duane Linklater: mymothersside

October 7, 2023–February 25, 2024

For over a decade, Duane Linklater has been making art that interrogates the construct of museums, their conventions, and their historical exclusion of Indigenous people and content. Working across a range of media—including painting, sculpture, and video—he addresses the contradictions of contemporary Indigenous life within settler systems of knowledge, representation, and value. Duane Linklater: mymothersside is the artist’s first major survey exhibition.

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  • Duane Linklater: wintercount_215_kisepîsim, mistranslate_wolftreeriver_ininîmowinîhk, 2022; charcoal, sumac, cotton thread, blueberry dye, felt tip marker, tarpaulin 6 parts, each approx. 222 x 102 in. (564 x 259 cm), Courtesy Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver

  • Duane Linklater: dislodgevanishskinground, 2015; twelve painted tepee poles, steel cable, charcoal, rope, digital print on linen (black tea, blueberry extract, sumac, charcoal); 220 x 174 x 174 in.; courtesy Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver

  • Duane Linklater: can the circle be unbroken 3, 2019; Digital print on linen, iron red and black walnut dyes, cypress yellow ochre, black tea, and charcoal 120 x 240 in. (304.8 x 609.6 cm) San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Accessions Committee Fund purchase; Commissioned by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

  • Gallery view of Duane Linklater: mymothersside

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Past Events

  • Wednesday, February 21, 7:30 PM

    Modest Livelihood with Live Score

    A screening of the silent film Modest Livelihood, by Duane Linklater and Brian Jungen, is accompanied by a new score performed by a trio of local musicians. The score is written by eagles with eyes closed, a musical project consisting of Duane Linklater and Tobias Linklater, exploring the generative experience of watching films together as intergenerational collaborators, father and son, and two Indigenous artists.

    Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Duane Linklater: mymothersside

  • Natalie Diaz, Beth PIatote, Craig Santos Perez
    Saturday, February 17, 1:30 PM

    Reclamation Poetry Gathering: Natalie Diaz, Craig Santos Perez, and Beth Piatote

    Writers who draw upon Indigenous languages and aesthetics—Natalie Diaz (Mojave), Craig Santos Perez (Chamoru), and Beth Piatote (Nez Perce)—gather to read from their work.

    This event is presented by the Arts Research Center, generously sponsored by Engaging the Senses Foundation, and cosponsored by BAMPFA.

  • Eleven poles extending from separate points on a white wall are joined together at opposite ends to form a cone shape. A large semi-circular piece of brown cloth hangs from the joined poles and gathers on the floor.
    Friday, February 16, 11:30 AM, 2 PM

    Reclamation Poetry Gathering: Fellows Reading

    A trans-Indigenous conversation, with juxtapositions that decenter European thought and begin to translate an ocean-to-desert-to-river-to-forest poetic imaginary, features nineteen poetry fellows chosen to participate in the 2023 Poetry & the Senses program.

    This event is presented by the Arts Research Center, generously sponsored by Engaging the Senses Foundation, and cosponsored by BAMPFA.

  • A half circle of canvas hung on a white wall extending onto a wood floor where there is another quarter-circle of fabric. The canvas is dyed in light and dark brown shades and has gray floral motifs.
    Saturday, January 27, 3 PM

    Duane Linklater: mymothersside Roundtable on Indigenous Knowledge

    Join us for a roundtable conversation on the occasion of the exhibition Duane Linklater: mymothersside focusing on Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing that inform the artist’s practice. The discussion explores topics such as language revitalization, basket weaving, and food sovereignty.

  • Saturday, January 13, 11:30 AM

    Gallery + Studio: Mixed Media with Handmade Pigments

    Make a mixed-media artwork using handmade pigments inspired by Duane Linklater’s exhibition.

    For ages 6–12 with accompanying adult(s)

  • Three pieces of fabric hang on white walls, two of which drape onto the floor. Two pieces of fabric are also arranged on the floor. The canvas is dyed in light and dark brown, red, green and pink shades and is painted with gray floral motifs.
    Saturday, February 3, 1:30 PM

    American Sign Language Tour of Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    Patricia Lessard offers American Sign Language interpretation for a graduate student–led tour of the exhibition. All visitors are welcome.

  • Wednesday, November 1–Saturday, November 4

    Ewako ôma askiy. This then is the earth.

    A series of open rehearsals with dance artists Ivanie Aubin-Malo and Ceinwen Gobert, led by artist/choreographer Tanya Lukin Linklater, these sessions respond to the cyclical, seasonal, affective, and formal qualities of selected works in Duane Linklater: mymothersside.

    Cosponsored by the Art Research Center

  • A banner made of eight smaller pieces of pink and ivory fabric printed with photographs, text, and other images, hangs on a white wall.
    Select Wednesdays and Sundays

    Exhibition Tour: Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    Exhibition tours of Duane Linklater: mymothersside are led by UC Berkeley graduate students in the Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies and Ethnic Studies Departments, on selected Wednesdays at 12:15 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.

  • A white bench in front of an image projected on a white wall. The projection shows a skinned animal sitting on snowy ground. A figure to the left of the image and a partial figure on the right hold the carcass as they butcher it.
    Saturday, October 7, 11 AM–7 PM

    Free Community Day: Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    Celebrate the opening of Duane Linklater: mymothersside with free gallery admission to the public on Saturday, October 7, from 11 AM to 7 PM.

  • Three pieces of fabric hang on white walls, two of which drape onto the floor. Two pieces of fabric are also arranged on the floor. The canvas is dyed in light and dark brown, red, green and pink shades and is painted with gray floral motifs.
    Saturday, October 7, 11:30 AM–1:30 PM

    Art Making for All Ages

    Drop in and make art inspired by Duane Linklater: mymothersside with local artists. Materials will be provided.

  • Eleven poles extending from separate points on a white wall are joined together at opposite ends to form a cone shape. A large semi-circular piece of brown cloth hangs from the joined poles and gathers on the floor.
    Saturday, October 7, 2 PM; Wednesday, October 11, 12:15 PM

    Curator’s Walk-Through: Victoria Sung on Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    Join Phyllis C. Wattis Senior Curator Victoria Sung for a guided tour of Duane Linklater: mymothersside to learn about the artist’s multifaceted process of research and making, from 3D printing to using natural dyes like blueberry extract, dandelion, and charcoal.

  • Two white objects that look like a mask and a head with a birds beak sit on a dark mirrored surface.
    Friday, October 6, 11 AM–7 PM

    Preview Day: Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    Member-exclusive preview day of Duane Linklater: mymothersside

    For BAMPFA members and UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff.

Past Films