Contemporary Native American Art
Contemporary Native American Art
Themes• Many contemporary
Native American artists continue to keep the traditional styles of their ancestors alive.
• Other artists call to attention the way Native Americans are viewed in contemporary society. Wayne Eagleboy, We-the people,
acryl and barbed wire on buffalo skin, 1971
Mike Dart• Cherokee Nation• Basket Weaving• Uses contemporary
materials as opposed to traditional.
• Works, along with his teacher, to bring back traditional art making techniques to the Cherokee community.
Mike Dart
War Cry, 2008
Mike Dart
Large Gathering Basket, 2008
Maria Martinez• Created
internationally known pottery
• Worked in traditional method of the pueblo indians.
• Original pueblo pottery was created during the neolithic period
Maria Martinez
Wedding Vase,Ca. 1929
Maria Martinez• Notice how crisp
and straight the line work is in the design.
Juane Quick-To-See Smith
• Raised on the Flathead reservation.
• Contemporary Native American artist not working in traditional styles.
• Creating work which calls attention to contemporary struggles with Native Americans.
• Classically trained artist, not trained through traditional Native American practices.
• Works in a wide variety of mediaB. 1940
Juane Quick-To-See Smith
Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People), 1992
Juane Quick-To-See Smith
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BtEJqvhosw&edufilter=R77X1Y45qK10Rul3kxVhMw
Shan Goshorn• Member of Eastern Band of
Cherokee Indians.• Creates artwork to
addressing contemporary issues concerning human rights and Native American stereotypes.
• Also creates work bringing to point the injustices Natives have served caused by the government.
Shan Goshorn• For example, Goshorn wove
“Pieced Treaty,” a basket in the traditional Cherokee “spider’s web” pattern, from paper printed with tobacco agreements between the state of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation.
• “‘Pieced Treaty” refers to the continual breaking of agreements,” Goshorn said. “I deliberately left the basket unfinished because the negotiations appear to be ongoing.”
Pieced Treaty
Shan Goshorn• Photograph of the Great
Smoky Mountains combined with historical map of Cherokee territory. Traditionally, we used natural landmarks to establish boundaries. Settlers brought a new way of regarding land and marking ownership. Traditional pattern is known as both mountain and river design.
Our Lands Are Not Lines On Paper, 2012