This painting “History is Deafening” has been part of an ongoing series of battle scenes I’ve created using toys and ledger art figures. I have also included fast food signs and buildings, and pieces of food like pie or slices of pizza as nostalgic rememberings but also symbols of capitalism and colonialism. There is a tension created between the battle scene with the brightly colored figures and the toys. In the title “History is Deafening” I derived two meanings. One meaning was that there are parts in history that make such an impact that they overshadow other events in history. Another meaning is that history is subjective, sometimes made up or rewritten especially in the case of Indigenous history. Most of the history has been written from the perspective of western thought or a European colonizer viewpoint. There is always power when you control the narrative. It has always been about control.
