Artist Lecture by Larry McNeil

Recorded in San Diego on May 7, 2022

Larry McNeil is a photographer, artist and scholar who lives and works in Boise, Idaho. His work examines the intersection of cultures, American mythology, irony, satire, and embodies a distinctive sense of American identity. Larry is from the Dakl'aweidi K'eet Gooshi H'it, Killer Whale Fin House in Klukwan Alaska, which is one of the oldest Tlingit tribal houses on the Northwest Coast. This heritage plays into a distinct storytelling aspect of his work, which is an extension of his graduate studies with influential figures such as Patrick Nagatani, Betty Hahn, and Thomas Barrow.

Global Climate change

Global Climate Change is also about humans caught up in a tangled mess where they feel like they’re just living like they always have. And DAMN, how can it be that our cars hurt the planet? We get in our pretty cars and run our errands, how can that be hurting the planet? That’s crazy, man. It’s also about “Raven” from the NW Coast trickster transformation ration stories. Shouldn’t we be giving up coal fired power plants and gasoline powered cars? If we know they’re wrong but still we use them, what does that say about us? Hmmm. White Raven may have some clues…

About Larry McNeil

Larry McNeil is a photographer, artist and scholar who earned his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of New Mexico. He is a Native American who cares deeply about people and life on Earth. McNeil has work in many national and international museum collections.

McNeill He has won numerous fellowships and awards for his creative work, which reinforces his idea that photography embodies relevance, meaning, and a sense of grace, inspiring positive change in times of need.