Maria Hupfield's practice centers on presence and performance. Her early work-photography and unconventional sculpture-is often focused on the idea of movement and action. Her recent sculptural forms are tactile objects constructed of thick, gray, industrial-grade felt and crinkly, reflective silver Mylar sheets. Though these material choices have origins in industry and manufactur-ing, Hupfield's forms and patterns are inextricably tied to Anishinaabe material culture. The corporeal elements in Hupfield's work reflect the Indigenous practice of using the body as a canvas. Objects such as the boots and mittens in It Is Never Just about Sustenance or Pleasure, are made to contain a human figure in motion. She has also constructed large, amorphous felt pouches into which she herself can crawl and move about. These hand-sewn objects function as physical and conceptual tools for performance and interaction with her audience.

In her installation and performance It Is Never Just about Sustenance or Pleasure, Hupfield places objects made for wetlands within a desert environment. Worn by the artist in performances, the felt mittens and boots are cartoonishly large and awkward, suggesting a dissonance between the wearer and reality. Within the installation, these items, displayed on plain two-by-four lumber boards in a spare corner of the gallery, are further estranged from their function as protection from cold air and water. Native cultures are known for their adaptability and integration within distinctive locales throughout the Americas. Hupfield, a member of the Wasauksing First Nation, mines her own Indigenous cultural references to create a provocation that questions our adaptability in the face of rapid environmental change.

- Kathleen Ash-Milby