Ogala Lakota Painter, Collage Artist, Educator, and Artist.
Arthur Amiotte, Wounded Knee #III, 2001. Ink and paper on canvas. 36 × 48 in. Lent by the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago; Gift of Robert and Miranda Donnelley (2013.30).
Arthur Amiotte by
Arthur Amiotte is one of the most renowned Native American artists working today. This book focuses on his collage series, which he began in 1988. By combining historic drawings, family photographs, advertising circulars, and other imagery, Amiotte illustrates the pluralistic and richly textured lives of late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century Native people, providing a penetrating portrait of more than a century of Lakota history, narrated and visualized from a Native point of view. Amiotte undercuts one-dimensional stereotypes of Indian identity, and presents work that is inventive, humorous, melancholy, witty, profound, and philosophical.
Sioux Indian Religion by
Individuals of all persuasions have become deeply interested in contemporary Sioux religious practices. These essays by tribal religious leaders, scholars, and other members of the Sioux communities in North and South Dakota deal with the more important questions about Sioux ritual and belief in relation to history, tradition, and the mainstream of American life. Contents: (1) "Lakota Belief and Ritual in the Nineteenth Century," by Raymond J. DeMallie; (2) "Lakota Genesis: The Oral Tradition," by Elaine A. Jahner; (3) "The Sacred Pipe in Modern Life," by Arval Looking Horse; (4) "The Lakota Sun Dance: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives," by Arthur Amiotte; (5) "The Establishment of Christianity Among the Sioux," by Vine V. Deloria, Sr.; (6) "Catholic Mission and the Sioux: A Crisis in the Early Paradigm," by Harvey Markowitz; (7) "Contemporary Catholic Mission Work Among the Sioux," by Robert Hilbert, S.}}.; (8) "Christian Life Fellowship Church," by Mercy Poor Man; (9) "Indian Women and the Renaissance of Traditional Religion," by Beatrice Medicine; (10) "The Contemporary Yuwipi," by Thomas H. Lewis, M.D.; (11) "The Native American Church of Jesus Christ," by Emerson Spider, Sr.; (12) "Traditional Lakota Religion in Modern Life," by Robert Stead, with an Introduction by Kenneth Oliver; Suggestions for Further Reading; Bibliography.
Kiowa and Caddo Painter
T. C. Cannon (1946–1978, Caddo/Kiowa), His Hair Flows Like a River, 1973-77. Acrylic and oil on canvas. Anne Aberbach and Family, Paradise Valley, Arizona. © 2017 Estate of T. C. Cannon. Photo by Thosh Collins.
Two American painters: Fritz Scholder and T.C. Cannon. by
Catalog of an exhibition held Apr. 7-May 29, 1972 at the National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian Institution, Washington; Adelyn D. Breeskin, curator of contemporary painting and sculpture.
Haida Carver, Printmaker, Painter, Jeweler.
Robert Davidson. Sea Monster. 2000. Acrylic Paint on Deer Hide. 26inches.
Robert Davidson by
Robert Davidson has been a pivotal figure in the Northwest Coast Native art renaissance since he erected the first totem pole in nearly a century in his ancestral Masset village in 1969. For over forty years he has absorbed the bedrock art traditions of Haida art and craft, working in the ancient forms of his grandfather, the influential Haida artist Charles Edensaw. Davidson has taken new directions within the highly disciplined structure of the old Northwest Coast models--in wood sculpture, ceremonial arts, jewelry, and prints. Less known are his recent forays into abstraction, explored in boldly minimalist easel paintings, graphic work, and sculpture. Pared to essential lines, elemental shapes, and bold colors, these startlingly modern works insinuate themselves into a lifetime's body of work which has usually been labeled as "traditional." Robert Davidson features paintings, sculptures, and prints created since 2005, as well as key images from earlier in his career, that show Davidson's impulse toward an elemental language of form. These essays investigate the complex fusion of sources Davidson draws upon, placing the work in the larger context of contemporary art, and examines the ways in which the work mediates the dualities of tradition and innovation, the spheres of the community and the gallery, and the personal and the collective.
Robert Davidson by
Published to accompany an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, of the work of Robert Davidson, a Haida artist, from Alaska, of the Northwest Coast tradition, who creates sculpture in argillite, bronze and wood, paintings in both paper and deerskin drums, drawings and sketches, jewelry in silver and gold, and prints.
Ojibwe Painter
Art Quantum by
While blood quantum laws have been used to determine an individual's inclusion in a Native group, Eiteljorg fellowship artists have instead come to view themselves as belonging to the "Art Tribe," through the universal process of art creation and collaboration. Art Quantum presents a selection of the extraordinary work created by the five artists selected for the 2009 Eiteljorg Fellowship. In his essay on the long career of Edward Poitras (Gordon First Nation), Alfred Young Man (Cree) places Poitras's installations in the context of Métis and Indian identity as well as the White art establishment in Canada. Gail Tremblay (Onondaga / Micmac) illuminates the work of Jim Denomie (Ojibwa), reading his narrative paintings and intimately scaled portraits through their complex and humorous references to history, art history, and current events. Jimmie Durham (Cherokee) uses the analogy of music to explore the language of abstraction in sculptural and two-dimensional works by Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw / Cherokee), while the subtle and often monochromatic sculptural installations of Faye HeavyShield (Kainai-Blood) are sensitively interpreted by Lee-Ann Martin (Mohawk). The volume closes with Polly Nordstrand's (Hopi / Norwegian) reflection on the themes of longing/not belonging and placement/displacement that Wendy Red Star (Crow) documents in her photographs and appliquéd dance shawls. It is the goal of the Eiteljorg Fellowship to be a starting point and a platform for exploration of Native identity and artistic expression beyond the concepts of blood quantum laws. Essays by James Nottage, Jennifer Complo McNutt, Ashley Holland (Cherokee), and Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche) help to situate the larger issue of Native identity in the contemporary art world.
Osage and Muscogee Ceramic and Textile Artist
Connective Tissue by
"This exhibition catalog features contemporary Native American artists who integrate various forms of fiber art media and methods to make their statements and to attain their visions ... The contemporary artists in Connective Tissue are respectful of the rich traditions and history of this art form and medium."--Patsy Phillips (from Introduction of Connective Tissue : New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art)."This exhibition catalog features contemporary Native American artists who integrate various forms of fiber art media and methods to make their statements and to attain their visions ... The contemporary artists in Connective Tissue are respectful of the rich traditions and history of this art form and medium."--Patsy Phillips (from Introduction of Connective Tissue : New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art).
Nisenan Maidu and Hawaiian Painter
Harry Fonseca, Fire. Acrylic on canvas. 60 x 70 in. 1988. Heard Museum.
Into the Fray by
This is the fourth in a biennial series of exhibitions and supporting catalogues begun in 1999 to bring the work of Native American fine artists to greater public attention. Following the pattern established at its inception, the 2005 Eiteljorg Fellowship honors one distinguished artist and five fellows. This year, the distinguished artist is sculptor John Hoover (Aleut). The fellows are painter Harry Fonseca (Maidu), painter James Lavadour (Walla Walla), sculptor and installation artist C. Maxx Stevens (Seminole/Muskogee), mixed media artist Tanis Maria S'eiltin (Tlingit), and painter, sculptor, and printmaker MarieWatt (Seneca). The Eiteljorg Fellowship was established to help create better public understanding of Native people and their participation in a modern world of art. The goal of the Fellowship is not necessarily to make Native fine art a part of the mainstream of the larger world of fine art, but to be part of the struggle for self-expression and to participate in the continually evolving worldwide definition of what art is.
The Dirt Is Red Here by
Like the glass in Shaunna Oteka McCovey's poem "Black berry Wine, " this collection is an explosion of light and color. It reflects the thousands of years in which native people have enjoyed California landscapes, fragmented by the historical events of the past two hundred years. Drawn from the archives and resources of News from Native California, the quarterly magazine that for nearly fifteen years has documented and celebrated California Indian art and culture, The Dirt is Red Here includes well-known poets such as Wendy Rose and Janice Gould as well as little-known visual artists and those whose work is known internationally, such as Fritz Scholder, Frank LaPena, Harry Fonseca, and Rick Bartow. All are living descendants of the indigenous tribes of California. Sumptuously designed and printed and filled with insight, power, and creativity, this book has a unique scope and universal appeal. A delightful surprise for readers unfamiliar with California art and literature and a long-anticipated treasure,for those who know the field, The Dirt is Red Here not only extends our sense of what it means to be Indian, but also of what it means to be human.
Tlingit and Unangax̂ Multi-Disciplinary Artist
Nicholas Galanin. Never Forget. Iron, Paint, Steel. 2021. 59’4’’ x 360’7’’.
Art of the Northwest Coast by
Originally published in 2006, Art of the Northwest Coast offers an expansive history of this great tradition, from the earliest known works to those made at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Although non-Natives often claimed that First Nations cultures were disappearing, Northwest Coast Native people continued to make art during the painful era of colonization, often subtly expressing resistance to their oppressors and demonstrating the resilience of their heritage. Integrating the art's development with historical events following contact with Euro-Americans sheds light on the creativity of artists as they appropriated and transformed foreign elements into uniquely Indigenous statements. A new chapter discusses contemporary artists, including Marianne Nicholson, Nicholas Galanin, Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, and Sonny Assu, who address pressing issues ranging from Indigenous sovereignty and destruction of the environment to the power of Native women and efforts to work with non-Natives to heal the wounds of racism and discrimination.
Native Art Now! by
The exhibition features 39 iconic works of Native art that the museum acquired primarily through its Eiteljorg Contemporary Art Fellowship, including installations, paintings, prints, sculptures and glass and fabric art. Visually compelling works from artists Truman Lowe, Allan Houser, Kay WalkingStick, Meryl McMaster and Nicholas Galanin among others are included Museum website
Cherokee and Choctaw Painter and Sculptor
Jeffrey Gibson. YOU’LL BE GIVEN LOVE. 2020. Repurposed trading post weaving, acrylic felt, nylon thread, artificial sinew, glass beads, plastic beads, nylon fringe, cotton canvas. 47 x 48 x 3in. Roberts Projects Gallery.
Jeffrey Gibson by
This generously illustrated book explores new developments in Jeffrey Gibson's recent work. Through painting, sculpture, installation, and film, Jeffrey Gibson brings together overlapping and conflicting cultures, histories, and aesthetics. Most recently he has explored notions of cultural and personal identity as they are communicated through aspects of adornment and dress. Highlighting his work from 2014 through 2018, including a series of garments and an original film that will debut as part of the accompanying exhibition at the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, this volume offers fresh insight into Gibson's approach, which melds the artist's Native American heritage with popular culture. Curated by Tracy L. Adler, Johnson-Pote Director of the Wellin Museum of Art, this selection of over fifty works features punching bags, paintings, beaded panels, and ceramics, among other works of art. An interview with Gibson by Adler and essays by Jane Panetta and Lowery Stokes Sims round out this beautiful book. Copublished by the Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art and DelMonico Books
Acoma Pueblo Potter
Lucy M. Lewis, 1898–1992. Keres, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico. Black-on-white Jar with Kokopelli Figure. 20th century. Earthenware. Gift of Shozo Sato and Mrs. Alice Ogura Sato for the late Dr. George I. Ogura. 2020-8-13.
Lucy M. Lewis by
Describes the role of pottery making in Acoma culture, recounts the lives and careers of a leading potter and her family, and presents examples of her work.
Pottery by American Indian Women by
This book provides a very personal look at three generations of American Indian women who made--and are still making--the 20th century's most beautiful and important traditional pottery. Primarily a women's art, American Indian pottery reflects a heritage of powerful social, religious, and aesthetic values. Even now, modern American Indian women use the clay, paint, and fire of pottery making to express themselves, creating designs that range from dutifully traditional to strikingly original. This book--written in conjunction with one of the most important exhibitions of American Indian pottery ever mounted--provides an in-depth look at a unique North American art form. The text and lavish illustrations focus on the American Indian women who have maintained and expanded the art in the twentieth century: the craft's six well-known matriarchs (including Lucy M. Lewis and Maria Martinez), family members who followed in their footsteps, and women working in the avant-garde. The author-herself a potter, with longstanding personal ties to the century's most important American Indian clay artists-personally introduces these remarkable women. In informal interviews, they explain their working methods and their aesthetic visions, allowing rare and surprisingly intimate glimpses into the fulfillment they gain from working the stuff of the earth into beautiful new forms. Featuring specially commissioned color photographs of the exhibition works and the contemporary artists, as well as archival photo-graphs of ancient pots and potters now lost to us, this book is sheer delight. With its thorough discussion of the cultural history of Indian pottery and a detailed explanation of traditional pottery-making processes, it is an indispensable reference for anyone interested in the vibrant (and still-flourishing) tradition of American Indian pottery. Susan Peterson began establishing personal friendships with American Indian potters during the 1930s. She is the author of The Living Tradition of Maria Martinez, Lucy M. Lewis: American Indian Potter, Sho-ji Hamada: A Potter's Way and Work, and The Craft of Art and Clay. She has also produced a critically acclaimed television series for CBS called Wheels, Kilns, and Clay. A practicing potter herself and an expert in the craft's history, she has developed ceramics departments and taught classes at many institutions. She frequently exhibits in group and one-woman shows, and recently retired as a professor of ceramic art from Hunter College in New York City. She now lives and works in rural Arizona. 130 colour illustrations & 20 archival photos
A group of six Kiowa painters from Oklahoma (previously known as the Kiowa Five)
Artists and Craftspeople by
This series introduces the general reader to various figures in Native American history from the 17th to the 20th century. The volumes explore the lives and accomplishments of a range of native people who overcame obstacles to become notable in their chosen fields of endeavour, including the arts and literature, politics, religion and medicine.
