Standing Rock 2016

Standing Rock 2016 comes from a series of works (2018-19) that respond to the North Dakota Access Pipeline protests at the Standing Rock Reservation (2016-2017). The painting also encapsulates the heightened anxiety, volatility, and absurdity of the American zeitgeist prior to the COVID pandemic.

Composed of small vignettes, the painting is not a document of historical events so much as it is a raw, cumulative response to what transpired at Standing Rock. Denomie pulls not punches. In the center of the canvas a group of Water Protectors hold signs as one moons law enforcement. In response, the officers open fire and spray a water canon. Two officers share a congratulatory high-five. The scene juxtaposes stark contrasts, laid bare for all to see.