Lockheart Legacy
On view October 3rd through November 15th, 2024 at at the Coyote Gallery, 10 E. Main Street, Vermillion, South Dakota.
Lockheart’s sense of humor and enthusiasm is readily apparent in this collection which features ten of her fictional ancestors.”
-Erin Rydgren, Cherokee Chronicle Times
Lockheart Legacy Artist Statement
Artist Klaire Lockheart has assembled many portraits as an art installation, and she claims these oil on canvas paintings are from her family history. She affirms that the collection of portraits is a work of art in and of itself because she has taken and taught too many art history and theory courses, and now she doesn’t know how else to exist as a painter in a world where critics have declared that “painting is dead” more times than she can count. This collection of portraits appear to represent the astonishing Lockheart lineage, which includes pirates, flappers, and other notable characters.
Some viewers question if these are authentic historic portraits of Klaire Lockheart’s ancestors. The odds are slim that all of her extraordinary predecessors commissioned portraits that are all the same size. It’s suspicious that these paintings, some of which should date back to the Renaissance, are in remarkably good condition. It’s also very unusual that Lockheart could have inherited all of these paintings. However, there is a chance that Lockheart is immortal, and she created these paintings to commemorate each identity she has assumed over time. Rumors have it that she is a vampire, time lord, or possibly possesses some sort of magical amulet. Despite the artist’s insistence that these portraits represent her lineage, skeptics proclaim that Lockheart simply created this series of paintings to construct a sense of belonging because she is a domestic abuse survivor and enjoys the concept of chosen family. It’s possible she made these paintings since she lacks family heirlooms. If this hypothesis is true, then Lockheart may have forged these portraits as a way to inspire viewers to feel empowered when constructing their own personal narratives.
Some viewers question if these are authentic historic portraits of Klaire Lockheart’s ancestors. The odds are slim that all of her extraordinary predecessors commissioned portraits that are all the same size. It’s suspicious that these paintings, some of which should date back to the Renaissance, are in remarkably good condition. It’s also very unusual that Lockheart could have inherited all of these paintings. However, there is a chance that Lockheart is immortal, and she created these paintings to commemorate each identity she has assumed over time. Rumors have it that she is a vampire, time lord, or possibly possesses some sort of magical amulet. Despite the artist’s insistence that these portraits represent her lineage, skeptics proclaim that Lockheart simply created this series of paintings to construct a sense of belonging because she is a domestic abuse survivor and enjoys the concept of chosen family. It’s possible she made these paintings since she lacks family heirlooms. If this hypothesis is true, then Lockheart may have forged these portraits as a way to inspire viewers to feel empowered when constructing their own personal narratives.
Push play to listen to the audio of the Lockheart Legacy artist statement.
Lockheart Legacy Installation
Klaire Lockheart, Lockheart Legacy Installation. 2022. Ten framed oil paintings plus mixed-media environment. 182x141x115".