James Luna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Luna
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James Luna in 2011
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| Born | February 9, 1950 |
| Died | March 4, 2018 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians, American |
| Education | BFA University of California, MS San Diego State University, Honorary PhD Institute of American Indian Arts |
| Known for | Performance, installation |
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Notable work
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The Artifact Piece (1987/1990), Take A Picture With A Real Indian (1993), Emendatio (2005) |
| Movement | Indigenous performance art |
| Awards | Eiteljorg Fellowship (2007), Guggenheim Fellowship (2017) |
James Luna (February 9, 1950 – March 4, 2018) was a Puyukitchum, Ipai, and Mexican-American artist. He was known for his performance art, photography, and installation art. His work often challenged how museums showed Native Americans. He used humor and theater to explore ideas about different cultures and colonialism. In 2017, he received a special award called a Guggenheim Fellowship.
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About James Luna
Luna was born in 1950 in Orange, California. In 1975, he moved to the La Jolla Indian Reservation in California. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1976 from the University of California, Irvine. Later, in 1983, he received a Master of Science degree in counseling from San Diego State University. He also received an honorary doctoral degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2011.
Luna was an active member of the La Jolla Indian reservation. He led the tribe's education center in 1987. His community was often a main focus in his photos and writings. He taught art at the University of California, San Diego. For 25 years, he also worked as a full-time academic counselor at Palomar College in San Marcos, California.
James Luna's Artwork
James Luna called himself an "American Indian Ceremonial Clown" and a "Culture Warrior." His art was known for questioning ideas about race. He wanted to show how museums often displayed Native Americans as if they were part of history, not as living people today.
Luna started his art career as a painter. But he soon began creating performance and installation art. He did this for over 30 years. He used objects, references to American pop culture, and his own body in his art. He had more than 58 solo exhibitions starting in 1981. He also took part in group shows and projects across the United States and the world.
The Artifact Piece (1987–1990)
In 1987, Luna performed The Artifact Piece at the San Diego Museum of Man. He lay still in a display case, like a museum exhibit. The case was filled with sand and items like his favorite music, books, and legal papers. Labels described his scars. This artwork was placed in a hall that showed traditional Native American displays. Critics praised Luna for making people think about how Native Americans are shown. He also performed The Artifact Piece in New York City in 1990.
Take a Picture With a Real Indian (1991–93)
In the early 1990s, Luna performed Take a Picture With a Real Indian outside Union Station in Washington, D.C. He stood at a podium and invited people to take a picture with him. He explained that America likes to see Native Americans dance or name cars after tribes. He would stand there until he felt upset or embarrassed. This performance showed how Native American culture is sometimes treated like a product for others to enjoy.
In My Dreams: A Surreal, Post-Indian, Subterranean Blues Experience (1996)
In this performance, Luna challenged the idea that Native Americans are only "people of memory." In one part, he did a "traditional" dance using crutches. This showed how some people's demands for Native performances can be limiting or not real. In another scene, he showed his diabetes by giving himself insulin on stage.
His final scene was a tribute to Dean Martin, a white singer. This part reversed the idea of white people admiring Native figures. By having a Native American artist admire a white person in a strong way, Luna showed how people sometimes admire Native Americans in a way that can be problematic.
Emendatio (2005)
In 2005, the National Museum of the American Indian supported Luna to take part in the Venice Biennale. This is a big art exhibition. His artwork, called Emendatio, included three installations: Spinning Woman, Apparitions: Past and Present, and The Chapel for Pablo Tac. He also did a personal performance in Venice called Renewal. This was dedicated to Pablo Tac (1822–1841), a Luiseño Indian writer and scholar.
Luna used parts of the Luiseño culture and his own family history in his art. His installations and performance showed how misunderstandings of Native identities and global changes have affected Native American stories.
Honors and Awards
James Luna received many awards during his career, including:
- 1988: LACE Fellowship (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, California)
- 1998: C.O.M.B.O Grant for Literary Studies (San Diego, California)
- 1991: Bessie Creator Award (New York Dance Theatre Workshop, New York)
- 1991: Fellowship in Sculpture (Western States Arts Federation's; Santa Fe, New Mexico)
- 1992: Grant for work in Performance, (California Arts Council; Sacramento, California)
- 1992: Offsite Installation Grant (Capp Street Project; San Francisco, California)
- 1992: Rockefeller Foundation Intercultural Film/Video Fellowship (New York)
- 1993: Best Live Short Subject Award for The History of the Luiseno People: La Jolla Reservation Christmas 1990 (American Indian Film Festival; San Francisco, California)
- 1994: Faculty Residency (Skowhegan School of Painting; Skowhegan, Maine)
- 1994: Distinguished Visiting Faculty Award (University of California, Davis)
- 1995: Native American Public Broadcasting Consortium Video Grant, “Bringing it All Back Home” video project
- 2000: Andrea Frank Foundation Grant
- 2000: Arts International Grant
- 2001: U.S.–Japan Creative Arts’ Program Fellowship, Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission
- 2001: University of California Regents Lecture (University of California, San Diego)
- 2001: Dorantes Lecturer (Santa Barbara City College, California)
- 2002: Creative Capital Award
- 2007: Eiteljorg Fellowship for Native American Fine Art
- 2011: Honorary PhD from the Institute of American Indian Arts, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
- 2015: Native Arts and Cultures Foundation National Arts Fellowship
- 2017: Guggenheim Fellowship
Death
James Luna passed away from a heart attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, on March 4, 2018. He was 68 years old.
See also
- List of Native American artists
- List of indigenous artists of the Americas
- Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas
