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Bio:
Of mixed Navajo (Diné) and Euro-American heritage, John Feodorov grew up in the suburbs of Southern California in the city of Whittier, just east of Los Angeles. He and his family made annual visits to his grandparent's homestead in New Mexico as a child. The time he spent there continues to influence his creative practice.
Feodorov's art and music engage and confront the viewer through questioning assumptions about Identity, Spirituality, and Place within the context of late capitalism. His ongoing series, "Assimilations", continues these explorations in the face of ongoing tensions surrounding nationalism, immigration, and decolonization. In 2021 Feodorov began a new series of large paintings called "Yellow Dirt" that respond to the ongoing contamination from over 500 abandoned uranium mines on and near the Navajo Reservation. The complete series was exhibited at the Kennedy Museum at the University of Ohio and ran from September 23 to December 18, 2022. He is currently working on a commission for a public artwork for the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. The large four-panel piece addresses the historical exploitation of the Duwamish river, resulting in its current status as a Superfund Site.
Feodorov has been featured in several publications, such as Time and Time Again by Lucy R. Lippard, Art + Religion, edited by Aaron Rosen, and Manifestations, edited by Dr. Nancy Marie Mithlo. He was also featured in the first season of the PBS series, "Art 21: Art for the 21st Century".
Feodorov is co-founder of Animal Saint, an Interdisciplinary arts partnership with composer/musician and longtime collaborator Paul Amiel. They released their debut album, "The History Of The United States As Performed By Animal Saint" in October of 2020 and have released several short instrumental pieces and videos throughout 2021. They are currently writing and recording new work.
Feodorov also served as an Arts Commissioner for the City of Seattle from 2000-2003 and currently holds the position of Associate Professor of Art at Fairhaven College at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington.
Artist Statement:
I create art to question and challenge my own experiences, ideas, and assumptions. I'm not necessarily trying to find answers, but I am more interested in interrogating the contexts of these experiences. For me, art is not so much a matter of self-expression as it is of self and societal interrogation. Over the years, I have realized that my art is simply an honest reflection of what I think and care about. Theory be damned.
I've been thinking about identity in more complex and personal ways. I am interested in how identity may be influenced, shaped, and distorted by politics, capitalism, immigration, and alienation. How is our disconnection manifested in our lives and our societies? And how does our disconnection benefit those in power? What are the alternatives?
As an Indigenous person, I have seen sacred lands and traditions polluted and exploited. I have witnessed my relatives succumb to alcohol and diabetes and abandon traditions and embrace Christianity and capitalism. While I am careful not to romanticize my heritage, I recognize the effects of alienation and despair. And while I have never lived on the reservation, I have experienced the effects of this within my family as suburbanized Indians. These experiences are what inform my art.
For years, I have told my students that artists need to be like fleas on a dog. The goal is not to become the dog, but rather to make sure the dog never becomes too comfortable.
Woof!