product of the ebb and flow of communica- tion between peoples. This is echoed by Homi K. Bhabha— hierarchical claims to the inherent originality or ‘purity’ of cultures are untenable. 2 The hybridity of Tea Garden made it simultaneously new and familiar, encouraging conversations among the participants not possible without the breakdown of cultural boundaries. The inferred architectural structure of Tea Garden , embodies a space of free dialogue which is the nature of cultural hybridity. Cultural hybridity, far from watering down ‘superior’ cultural forms, acts to strengthen and invigorate all cultures. Cultures that have stubbornly tried, or been forced, to remain pure undermine their very existence by hindering the natural inclination of cultures to dialogue. Our new teahouse, Longteahouse (below), is a hybrid blend of Japanese, North American and Haudenosaunee culture (what Iroquois people call ourselves). One of the main influences here is the Haudenosaunee Longhouse which gives all people the equal opportunity to speak freely and be heard. We brush up against different people and differ- ent cultures on a daily basis, this is part of who we are and it is impossible not to respond to it: this dialogue is the nature of our tea ceremony. 1 Ellen Dissanayake. Homo Aestheticus: Where Art Comes From and Why . New York: Freepress, 1999, p. 46. 2 Homi K. Bhaba. ‘The Commitment to Theory’ The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism . New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2001, p. 2396.
Miriam Jordan and Julian Haladyn are interdisciplinary artists and writers in Peter- borough Ontario. In 1997 they studied traditional Korean painting under master Lee Young-Hwan in Ichon, South Korea. Miriam, a Mohawk artist, has a BA(Honors) in English and a BA(Honors) Visual Arts, Julian a BFA(Honors) all from the University of West- ern Ontario. Both are currently pur- suing an MFA in Inter- disciplinary Art from Goddard College in Vermont. Julian is also studying for his MA in Culture, Politics and Theory at Trent Uni- versity.
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