A R T 100 Introduction to Art
Visit an art gallery, find an artists work I like, position them within the context of current and past artists, find out more information about them.
J A M E S T O W N S' K L A L L A M T R I B A L A R T G A L L E R Y
all photographs are my own
The first things one sees when approaching the Jamestown Art Gallery are the tremendous totems and carvings. This killer whale sits just outside the gallery. Dale Faulstich, master carver, has been carving for the tribe since the 1980s. Dale, a non native, was first a commercial artist for the tribe before he was asked to do carvings. His carving shed, beautifully entitled 'House of Myths', is responsible for many pieces that grace not only the tribal campus, but private collections as well. Each piece tells a story, which he learns about through his own research and from tribal elders who have their own stories to tell.
This piece drew me the instant I walked in. Historically, weapons have been the focus of much artistic effort, from Samurai swords to hand carved pistols to suits of armor for man and horse. This pick axe war club is relatively simple in appearance, yet there is much feeling to it. It is almost brutal in the way the blade has been worked, contrasting with the soft skin and delicate lacing on the handle. This is James Harner, an elder and artist of the Jamestown tribe. Initially this type of weapon used stone for the blade, then contact with Europeans introduced metal. This is done in the traditional style using sinew to lash the blade to the handle. It is a throwing weapon and was used in hand to hand combat, in addition to it's usefulness as a tool.
This gallery includes work from other tribes as well, such as this one from Maxine Noel, a Santee Oglala Sioux, who signs her work 'Ioyan Mani', her Sioux name, which translates as 'Walk Beyond'. While many of the gallery pieces use traditional methods and materials, Maxine's work interprets Native designs in a new way. She uses shape and line to create flowing movement. There is an expression of spirituality, strength and simplicity, and a beautiful use of color. |
Kim Elkins is of Crow heritage. She creates these dolls from her imagination. They seem very traditional to me in that they are symbolic of spiritual energies and in the use of natural materials. Doll making was done by all tribes, each with their own significance. Not just for kids, dolls played an important role in rituals. The way the blue feathers are used for arms struck me. I find these dolls to be very evocative of the connection between nature and man. They display a respect for the earthy, along with a recognition of the spiritual. This combination is potent in tribal art. |
Daniel Dick, Coastal Salish,
Remo Drum Deer. |
Many tribes believed the drum was the heartbeat of mother earth. There is a strong use of color and a simplistic style. The deer has a fierce expression and the pony wears the color of red, symbolic of battle. Drums played an important part in rituals and powwows. Now, as with the axe, they are art pieces, their display reminding us not only of the heritage of native tribes, but of their ability to imbue objects with beauty and meaning. |
Gary Buckman, Oglala Lakota Sioux, War Pony Drum/Beater
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Yukie Adams, Tlingit, Sleeping Raven. Yukie is Japanese, having married into the Alaskan Tlingits. This is the kind of art that traditionally would be found in totems and carvings, now in paintings and graphics. I find the combination of colors, strong style and shapes to be very dynamic. From the eye I get a sense of a sleeping creature. The moon encircles and embraces the raven. I find it curious how the coastal tribes arrived at this type of style, where blocks of color and large shapes and other symbols are contained within the shape of the subject. It is a distinctive style. The contrast of the colors is quite striking. There is a peacefulness, as befits the image of sleep. There is also a strength, and a sense of respect for nature. That all things have their equal place in the world.
S K E T C H B O O K
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