Seattle Project: Exaltation to Gaia

SEATTLE PROJECT: EXALTATION TO GAIA

In the mid-1970s, I learned of a reply letter from the indigenous chief Seattle (1786/1866) to the proposal by the US president, Franklin Pearce, to buy indigenous lands in exchange for a reserve in 1855.

For 20 years I was fascinated by poetic and philosophical beauty, and tormented by the prophetic observation of the words of this human being (who led the Suquamish, Duwamish, Samanish and Stakmish tribes).

As time went on and my research deepened, I discovered that, in fact, Chief Seattle delivered a speech during a peace treaty in which indigenous lands were sold in exchange for a reserve in 1855. This speech was witnessed by his admirer, Henry A. Smith, who published it in a local newspaper in 1887, based on his recollections of the speech.

In 1971, the speech underwent changes made by a screenwriter, Ted Perry, to a documentary with an ecological theme. From then on, the text of that documentary came to be known as Chief Seattle's letter of reply to the American president.

Although the authorship is ambivalent, this communion of texts, in my view, presents a message for humanity that is becoming more and more current.

The coexistence with this ambiguity culminated in the creation of the series of works called Project Seattle: Exaltation to Gaia, produced in 1996 in the form of reinterpretation of the text resulting from this historical journey called Letter from the Chief Seattle, which, regardless of authorship, I believe to be a work of art and, at the same time, a life lesson.

Technique: Oil + objects on wood

Dimensions: Various sizes

Year: 1996-2003

Note: the letter is available at: https://www.fwmartes.com.br/imprensa/114/carta-do-chefe-seattle/eng