Born: 1950, Orange, California, USA
Died: March 4, 2018, San Diego, California, USA
Nationality: Luiseño, Puyukitchum
Style: Performance Art, Installation Art
Influences: Luiseño culture, museum studies, identity politics
"I'm interested in challenging the way people see Native Americans."
Notable Artwork
The Artifact Piece (1987/1990)
About James Luna
Born: 1950, Orange, California, USA Died: March 4, 2018, San Diego, California, USA Nationality: Luiseño, Puyukitchum Style: Performance Art, Installation Art Influences: Luiseño culture, museum studies, identity politics Major Exhibitions: “The Artifact Piece” (1987/1990), “Take a Picture with a Real Indian” (1991), “Emendatio” (2005) Quote: “I’m interested in challenging the way people see Native Americans.”
Notable Artwork: The Artifact Piece (1987/1990)
In this performance/installation, Luna placed himself on display in a museum case, labeled as a living artifact. He included personal objects and labels describing his scars and other physical features.
Significance
The Artifact Piece is a powerful critique of the ways in which Indigenous peoples have been historically represented (and misrepresented) in museums and anthropological displays. Luna’s work directly confronts the objectification and exoticization of Indigenous bodies and cultures, reclaiming agency and challenging viewers to reconsider their assumptions.