(L-R) Jason Parrish, Navajo; Roger Perkins, Mohawk and Terrance Guardipee, Blackfeet The two dimensional works of artists Terrance Guardipee, Blackfeet, Jason Parrish, Navajo, and Roger Perkins Mohawk, span our concepts of what traditional and contemporary Native American art looks like. Their works can also begin the challenging dilemma of articulating why a work should be…
(Oil Painting by Tony Abeyta, Navajo) A premise endures regarding Native American art that Indigenous Peoples had no real concept of the discipline until Westerners arrived. The argument goes, ‘prior to this, they would embellish items—utensils, tools, clothing—that served a utilitarian purpose.’ This position entails academic debate, however, and even then, no clear conclusion exists….
(Walrus provide a subsistence lifestyle, food source along the Western Coast of Alaska. They also figure prominently in the art of all three artists | Photo courtesy of Raven Makes Gallery) Don Johnston, Aleut, moved to Anchorage from Ketchikan, Alaska 35 years ago to work construction but suffered a somewhat fortuitous back injury. While recovering,…
