Contemporary Native Art...

1. Contemporary Native Art...

2. Traditions develop and adapt… Materials and mediums become traditional over time. At some point all materials and mediums were new.

3. How do we decide if an artform is traditional or contemporary?

4. Authenticating Native art… Do the tools used for construction determine the authenticity? No…it is ethnicity that defines American Indian art.

5. Contemporary vs. Traditional

6. Contemporary artforms expand traditional avenues of creativity and expression.

7. Pottery continues to be produced in the “old” ways, with new design attributes.

8. All mediums and materials are used by Native artists today.

9. Must a work be produced in Western art media and formats? Should all forms of art made by Native people in the last century be considered modern? Should subject matter be contemporary issues or can traditional heritage and belief be included? Should professional art-school training be required? Must the work be by a Native artist who has legal recognized status from the government? Some questions of definition concerning modern Native art:

10. Moments of art-making… • Contact introduced new materials for existing mediums of expression, all of which were gathered, utilized, adapted, and incorporated into Native artistic traditions. • It also opened a new vista of Western orientations toward art and expression. • What is generally accepted as “modern” Native art expression begins in the late nineteenth century with ledger art…

11. Plains ledger art Ledger art represents some of the earliest Native transition paintings from animal hides to “western” paper formats. Most of these were completed by Plains warriors during periods of incarceration. They are called ledger art because many of the paintings were created on the pages of ledger (accounting) books, obtained from soldiers and missionaries.

12. Black HawkSans-arc Lakota, 1881

13. Southern Cheyenne Ledger1870’s

14. Fort Marion Ledger ArtKiowa, 1870’s

15. Howling WolfSouthern Cheyenne, 1875

16. The advent of the twentieth century and Native art… • The Kiowa Five of the southern Plains • The Studio Style of the Southwest • Native Modernists • Art and political activism • Post-modernism • Installation art display

17. The Kiowa Five of the southern Plains The Kiowa Five opened the eyes of the world to Native arts in the 20th century by using materials and mediums not considered traditional. They were: James Auchiah Spencer Asah Jack Hokeah Stephen Mopope Monroe Tsatoke Lois Smokey

18. The Studio Style of the Southwest Students at the Sante Fe Indian School were encouraged to paint scenes from traditional life. Many of these students became leading Native artists of the 20th century.

19. Easel Paintings – Bambi Art Many of the early 20th century Native painters developed styles which in later decades became known as “easel art” and then the more disparaging term “bambi art” was applied since some of the imagery was thought to resemble early Disney production work. The professional art world has never embraced Native painting traditions, and the controversy over authenticity and acceptance continues today.

20. Native Modernists Oscar Howe Yanktonai Sioux

21. Art and Political Activism Hachivi Edgar Heap of Birds Cheyenne

22. Post-modernism Marcus Amerman Choctaw Arthur Amiotte Lakota

23. More post-modern Native art… Sharon Dryflower Reyna Taos Pueblo Pena Bonita Apache/Seminole

24. Installation Art Truman Lowe Seneca/Tuscarora Larry McNeil Tlingit/Nisga’a

25. The Future of American Indian Art We are still here…