November 1st 2024 – February 28 2025

(Window)

Nothing Happened Here

Photography by Jeremy Dennis

Jeremy Dennis (Shinnecock Indian Nation, Southampton, NY.) His series Nothing Happened Here, explores the violence/non-violence of post-colonial Native American psychology. Reflecting upon his own experience and observations in his community, the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton, New York, specifically the burden of the loss of culture through assimilation, omission of his history in school curriculum, and loss of land and economic disadvantage. This series illustrates the shared damaged enthusiasm of living on indigenous lands without rectification.

The artist states, “The arrows in each image act as a symbol of everlasting indigenous presence in each scene. The images may be as compelling if the subjects were of indigenous descent, but the decision to use non-native subjects reveals a shared burden. The question remains of how to overcome this troubled past.”

Dennis was one of 10 recipients of a 2016 Dreamstarter Grant from the national non-profit organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth. He has received the Creative Bursar Award from Getty Images in 2018 to continue his series Stories—Indigenous Oral Stories, Dreams and Myths. His artist residencies include: Yaddo (2019), Byrdcliffe Artist Colony (2017), North Mountain Residency, Shanghai, WV (2018), MDOC Storytellers’ Institute, Saratoga Springs, NY (2018). Eyes on Main Street Residency & Festival, Wilson, NC (2018), Watermill Center, Watermill, NY (2017) and the Vermont Studio Center hosted by the Harpo Foundation (2016). He has been part of numerous group and solo exhibitions. Jeremy currently lives and works in Southampton, New York on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.