TFAO Digital Library

Topical Information: Native American Art


Articles from Resource Library in chronological order:

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2000

1999

1998

 

Articles from Resource Library regarding Navajo Weavings

 

and also from the Web:

Google announced in 2004 a collaboration with institutional libraries to digitize large quantities of books: the Google Books Library Project. Public domain books are available on an open access basis. Copyrighted material is treated in one of three ways. Google negotiates with cooperating publishers through its Google Books Partner Program for "Limited Preview" of entire pages or sections within books by readers. For scanned books without copyright permissions, "snippets" are available. For remaining books basic information is provided without ability to search within the book. The snippets inform readers about the relevance of the book to their subject of inquiry. A Google Book Search conducted April 26, 2008 located 606 books featuring either full view or limited view with the search phrase "Native American art." Limited Preview examples include:

American Indian Art: The Collecting Experience, By Beverly Gordon, Melanie Herzog. Published 1988 by Chazen Museum of Art. 72 pages. ISBN:0932900186. Google Books says: "Even the earliest European explorers to the Americas collected objects made by native people. The ongoing fascination with the artistic and cultural expressions of American Indian people is documented historically, along with a close look at seven midwestern collections. The wide array of art encompassed is handsomely illustrated, and includes pottery, weavings, basketry, beadwork, and carvings.Distributed for the Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin­Madison." Note: Google Books offers a Limited Preview of this book. For more information on this and other digitizing initiatives from publishers please click here and here.(left: front cover, American Indian Art: The Collecting Experience, image courtesy Google Books)

The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry, By Theda Bassman, Ph.D., Gene Balzer. Preview this book. Published 1997 by Kiva Publishing. 79 pages. ISBN:1885772025. Google Books says: "An elegant array of museum quality pieces are showcased illustrating the marvelous creativity and artistry of Navajo jewelers. The book features the fine photography of noted photographer Gene Balzer. Detailed descriptions accompany each piece photographed." Note: Google Books offers a Limited Preview of this book. For more information on this and other digitizing initiatives from publishers please click here and here. (right: front cover, The Beauty of Navajo Jewelry. Photo courtesy Google Books)

A Guide to Indian Jewelry of the Southwest, By Georgiana Kennedy Simpson. Published 1999 by Western National Parks Association. 48 pages. ISBN:158369000X. Google Books says: "The third in our series of best-selling guides to collectible Indian crafts. Features bright, clear photographs of work by Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, and Santo Domingo artists. Brief text details the meticulous tasks these artists perform to create a southwestern style of wearable art."Note: Google Books offers a Limited Preview of this book. For more information on this and other digitizing initiatives from publishers please click here and here. (left: front cover, A Guide to Indian Jewelry of the Southwest. Photo courtesy Google Books)

Native North American Art, By Janet Catherine Berlo, Ruth B. Phillips.Published 1998 by Oxford University Press. 291 pages. ISBN:0192842188. Google Books says: "This exciting new investigation explores the indigenous arts of the US and Canada from the early pre-contact period to the present day, stressing the conceptual and iconographic continuities over five centuries and across an immensely diverse range of regions. The richness of Native American art is emphasized through discussions of basketry, wood and rock carvings, dance masks, and beadwork, alongside the contemporary vitality of paintings and installations by modern artists such as Robert Davidson, Emmi Whitehorse, and Alex Janvier. Authors Berlo and Philips fully incorporate substantive new research and scholarship, and examine such issues as gender, representation, the colonial encounter, and contemporary arts. By encompassing both the sacred and secular, political and domestic, the ceremonial and commercial, Native North American Art shows the importance of the visual arts in maintaining the integrity of spiritual, social , political, and economic systems within Native North American societies." (right: front cover, Native North American Art. Photo courtesy Google Books)

Native American Art in the Twentieth Century: Makers, Meanings, Histories, By W. Jackson Rushing. Published 1999 by Routledge. 214 pages. ISBN:0415137470. Google Books says: "Contemporary Native American and First Nation art has won increasing international recognition in recent years as galleries and museums have begun to make room for Native artists. Provocative and illuminating, "Native American Art in the Twentieth Century" features the writings of practicing artists, critics, curators and scholars that engage a wide range of critical issues in Native art from the 1890s to the present. Demonstrating its vitality and diversity, the contributors examine pottery, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and performance art by some of the most celebrated Native American and Canadian artists of our time. From the Pueblo pottery revival to the invention and marketing of modern Inuit art, contributors offer new interpretive strategies based on Native culture and knowledge, stressing the significance of tradition, mythology and ceremony in the production of Native art. Tracing the continued resistance of Native artists to dominant orthodoxies of the art market and art history, "Native American Art in the Twentieth Century" is a testament to Native art's place in modern art history. Contributors: Sara Bates, Bruce Bernstein, Colleen Cutschall, Margaret Dubin, Joe Feddersen, Lucy R. Lippard, Gerald R. McMaster, David W. Penny, Ruth B. Phillips, Kristin K. Potter, Lisa A. Roberts, W. Jackson Rushing III, Charlotte Townsend-Gault, Joseph Traugott, Kay Walking Stick and Elizabeth Woody."

Roy Lichtenstein: American Indian Encounters, By Gail Stavitsky, Roy Lichtenstein, Twig Johnson. Published 2005 by Rutgers University Press. 90 pages. ISBN:081353738X. Google Books says: "Catalog of an exhibition held at the Montclair Art Museum and 4 other museums between Oct. 16, 2005 and Apr. 18, 2007." Note: Google Books offers a Limited Preview of this book. For more information on this and other digitizing initiatives from publishers please click here and here. (right: front cover, Roy Lichtenstein: American Indian Encounters, image courtesy Google Books)

Amazon.com has a feature that allows people on the Web to read text inside books. To use this feature, search in "books," entering title of a book or other keywords. When a book is retrieved it may have the "Search Inside" feature allowing the readere to read sample pages of the book selected, which may include color images of the front cover, front flap, table of contents, excerpt such as the introduction chapter, alphabetical index, back flap and back cover. Also, some books have a word search feature, which enables registered individuals to search inside the books and pull up individual pages containing the selected words. An Amazon.com search within "books" conducted March 24, 2008 located 2,137 pages with the search phrase "Native American art." Many of the books offer a "Search Inside" feature.

 

Also consider reading these paper-printed books:

Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms, By Paula A. Baxter, Allison Bird-Romero. Published 2000 by Oryx Press. 296 pages. ISBN:1573561282. Google Books says: "This new guide is the first to explore all facets of Native American jewelry -- its history, variety, and quality -- in one convenient resource. With coverage beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, this resource includes artists, techniques, materials, motifs, and more. The encyclopedia opens with a helpful introductory essay to acquaint the reader with the subject. More than 350 entries and over 80 photos make this new encyclopedia an exceptional value." (left: front cover, Encyclopedia of Native American Jewelry: A Guide to History, People, and Terms. Photo courtesy Google Books)

Indians of North America: Paintings by Henry Inman from the D. Harold Byrd ..., By Herman J. Viola, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Henry Inman, Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Published 1983 by Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Indians of North America. 30 pages. ISBN:0931618118

Plains Indian Design Symbology and Decoration, By Gene Ball, George P. Horse Capture. Published 1980 by Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Indian art. 87 pages. ISBN:0931618037

Salish Indian Art: From the J.R. Simplot Collection, By George P. Horse Capture, Richard A. Pohrt, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Buffalo Bill Historical Center, Buffalo Bill Historical Center Plains Indian Museum, Plains Indian Museum. Published 1986 by Buffalo Bill Historical Center. Salish Indians. 80 pages. ISBN:0931618223. Published in connection with an exhibition at the Plains Indian Museum.

Southwestern Indian Jewelry, By Dexter Cirillo. Photographs by Stephen Northup, Michael Monteaux. Contributor Steven Northup, Michael Monteaux. Published 1992 by Abbeville Press. Abbeville says: "Spectacular photographs of the breathtaking beautiful objects and sensitive portraits of the artists combine with an insightful, informative text to capture the spirit of this work and the vital cultures from which it springs. This ground-breaking volume opens by surveying the vividly colored necklaces, earrings, and pins made in shell and stone from prehistoric times to the present, particularly in the Santo Domingo and Zuni pueblos. The focus then shifts to the much-admired and avidly collected work in silver -- often set with turquoise and other stones -- by Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni artists. The book culminates in an exploration of striking contemporary work in which many artists have adapted traditional approaches to create original designs. A collector's guide offers invaluable advice as well as an illustrated glossary of materials, techniques, objects, and designs. A nationwide directory of sources concludes the book." (right: front cover, Southwestern Indian Jewelry. Photo courtesy Google Books) Note: the Introduction to this book may be read at the Abbeville Press web site.

 

Hear this online audio show:

Boston College partnered with the Forum Network for:

Religious Imagery in Navajo Textiles (1 hour, 11 minutes) a lecture by Rebecca Valette, professor, french, Boston College, who explains that seemingly abstract Navajo designs are, in fact, religious symbols imbued with specific meanings. [November 7, 2002]

 

See these online videos:

Achievement.org is a unique, non-profit entity that has an extensive collection of biographies, profiles and interviews of the great thinkers, achievers and influencers of our time. The site features video segments of an interview with Native American artist Fritz Scholder recorded on June 29, 1996 at Sun Valley, Idaho

Navajo Weaving from Current.tv. Evangeline Succo teaches her son Ian about Navajo Weaving.

From New Mexico PBS via YouTube, a six minute video Maria Martinez: Notable New Mexican. Also see Allan Houser: Notable New Mexican from New Mexico PBS - 5 minutes - Jul 17, 2006.

The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA produced an online presentation titled Indian Market: New Directions in Southwestern Native American Pottery to accompany a 2002 exhibition. The "Indian Market" segment describes the annual event in a video interview with Sicangu Lakota artist and psychiatrist Thomas Haukass.

The WGBH/Boston Forum Network includes a number of videos on Art and Architecture. Partners include a number of Boston-area museums, colleges, universities and other cultural organizations. Boston College partnered with the Forum Network for Religious Imagery in Navajo Textiles (1 hour, 11 minutes) a lecture by Rebecca Valette, professor, french, Boston College, who explains that seemingly abstract Navajo designs are, in fact, religious symbols imbued with specific meanings. [November 7, 2002]

 

TFAO suggests these DVD or VHS videos:

Allan Houser - Haozous: The Lifetime Work of an American Master is a 54 minute, 1998, award winning documentary released by Allan Houser provides a thorough biographical summary as well as displaying hundreds of his important works both as a painter and sculpture. DVD format. Available through the Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe.

American Indian Artist: Fritz Scholder is a 30-minute video in which Fritz Scholder creates prints and paintings that depict the modern Indian's dilemma of living with tradition in modern society. The documentary also shows Scholder in his studio creating a large colorful painting in his unique style. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

American Indian Artists series 60 minute each / 1975 / PBS "The following are from a series, which portrays the skill and craft of various American Indian artists. Poet/singer Rod McKuen hosts. -

Apache Visions in Stone: Art of Allan Houser is a 25 minute video from Crystal Productions. Rooted in Apache cultural traditions, the art of Allan Houser speaks a universal language. This video explores Houser's insights into the creative process and his devotion to revealing through art the many facets of Native American culture.

Art of Navajo Weaving and The Durango Collection of Southwest Textiles, The is a 56 minute dual-film video distributed by Interpark, Cortez, CO. The Art of Navajo Weaving beautifully documents the state of Navajo weaving, looking at it's origins and, through a visit with a contemporary Navajo weaving family, it's current state. It features Isabel and Geanita John, award winning pictorial weavers. The Durango Collection, an interesting and educational film, is a tour through the Durango Collection, the most complete collection of Navajo and Southwestern weaving in the world. The Collection is a part of The Southwest Center at Fort Lewis College The film is narrated by Jackson Clark and Mark Winter. (text courtesy of petroglyphtrail.com)

 

Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Indian Art and It's Evolution is a 60 minute video that presents more than three hundred examples of prehistoric, historic, and contemporary American indian art. Carvings, paintings, sculptures, baskets, rugs, jewelry and pottery are interwoven with the hauntingly beautiful strains of the flute, guitar and interludes of an unforgettable new sound in Native American music as the mystical world of Indian art unfolds. The evolution of Indian art is traced through the centuries. The deeply rooted traditions that inspire contemporary artist are revealed through comparisons of their work with the art of their ancestors. The talents of Jerry Jacka are combined with leading Native American artists to present a visual feast. (text courtesy of petroglyphtrail.com)

Borderlands: Gerald Clarke, Cahuilla Artist Crossing the Line. Of this 47 minute 2005 DVD directed by Sean Owen, National Film Network says: "Gerald Clarke's return to the Cahuilla reservation opens this film about his life, art and people. After his father's death, he gave up a tenured position at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma and moved with his family to the Cahuilla reservation near Anza, California. He now lives in the house he inherited from his father... This documentary, which emphasizes contemporary perspectives, contains interviews with Gerald, other Cahuilla tribal members--including elders--and centers on the themes of mixed blood, adaptation to reservation life, and cultural identity."

Charles Loloma & Helen Hardin. Presents the world famous Hopi jeweler Charles Loloma displays some of his work and discusses his heritage, and presents Helen Hardin painting sophisticated geometric patterns and traditional Indian motifs while exploring her attempt to integrate the Indian and artist parts of her self. 1988. 60 min. Video/C 1579. Available from Media Resources Center, Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Classic Maria Martinez: Native American Pottery Maker of San Ildefonso, available from the Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe. "Maria Martinez, noted Indian pottery maker demonstrates the traditional Indian ways, beginning with the spreading of corn pollen before clay is gathered. Also shown are the mixing of the clay, construction of pottery, hand decorating and building of the firing mound. This National Park Service film was a winner of CINE Golden Eagle; Certificate of Creative Excellence, U.S. Industrial Film Festival; Certificate Salerno International Film Festival; award second International Craft Film Festival. Running time is 27 minutes, DVD format. Available through the Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe.

Fritz Scholder: American Portrait is a 30-minue video in which American abstract impressionist, Fritz Scholder describes his lifelong endeavor to "put a sense of order to the canvas." Though he grew up denying his Native American heritage, he was eventually drawn to the Indian identity and emerged a leader in American Indian Art. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

Fritz Scholder: Painting the Paradox. Explore with the artist Fritz Scholder, his world, his works and his thoughts. In the 1960's he became "the leader of a new Indian Art Movement." Travels to Cairo, Paris, New York and Sante Fe provide the background of his philosophy of living, painting and sculpting. 47 minutes. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

Lakota Quillwork: Art and Legend. This program features Flossie New Holy Bear Robe and Alice New Holy Blue Legs, Lakota women who demonstrate the techniques of quillwork. The legends and art of Lakota porcupine quillwork, past and present, are explored. 45 minutes. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

Living Portraits: New Mexico Artists & Writers. "This DVD is a series of three, short films. They feature interviews with the artists, examples of their work, and footage of places and activities important to their lives. A discussion guide accompanies each film to assist teachers and others in fully considering the issues raised in the films." Text courtesy of Museum of New Mexico Foundation. Available through the Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe.

Maria: Indian Pottery Maker of San Ildefonso is a 27 minute video produced by National Park Service Films and distributed by Interpark, Cortez, CO. Maria Martinez, noted Indian pottery maker demonstrates the traditional Indian ways, beginning with the spreading of corn pollen before clay is gathered. Also shown are the mixing of the clay, construction of pottery, hand decorating and building of the firing mound. Born in 1918 in the Pueblo of Santa Clara and educated at a mission, her artistic talents were encouraged by her teachers. Through her work at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, Pablita records the traditions and legends of her ancient people so that future tribal generations may know and understand their heritage. Here we see Pablita mixing her own paints from natural earth- found materials, sketching in the wilderness, teaching young Indian children. She captures on canvas, the essence and ceremonies customs, and present day Pueblo life. Running time is 20 minutes. A great bonus! Total DVD running time 47 min. (text courtesy of petroglyphtrail.com)

Medicine Flower, Lone Wolf & R.C. Gorman. Profiles potters Grace Medicine Flower and her brother Joseph Lonewolf, and Navajo painter R.C. Gorman. c1988. 60 min. Video/C 1578. Available from Media Resources Center, Library, University of California, Berkeley. Available from Media Resources Center, Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Native American Art: Art of Three Native Americans. 27 minutes. Available through Currier Museum of Art

On The Border: Native American Weaving Traditions of The Great Lakes and Prairie. Featuring three Minnesota artists (Francis Keahna, splitash basketry; Melvin Losh, porcupine quillworking on birchbark; and Josephine Ryan, finger weaving), this video documents the continuity of traditional American Indian arts, as well as the artists' innovations. 28 minutes. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

Pablita Velarde: An Artist and Her People is a 20 minute video produced in 1984 by National Park Service Films and distributed by Interpark, Cortez, CO. Pablita Velarde a native American Indian and noted painter. Born in 1918 in the Pueblo of Santa Clara and educated at a mission, her artistic talents were encouraged by her teachers. Through her work at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico, Pablita records the traditions and legends of her ancient people so that future tribal generations may know and understand their heritage. Here we see Pablita mixing her own paints from natural earth- found materials, sketching in the wilderness, teaching young Indian children. She captures on canvas, the essence and ceremonies customs, and present day Pueblo life. This National Park Service film was a winner of CINE Golden Eagle; Certificate of Creative Excellence, U.S. Industrial Film Festival; Certificate Salerno International Film Festival; award second International Craft Film Festival. (text courtesy of petroglyphtrail.com)

Persistent Women Artists. In this 28 minute 1996 program artist Betty LaDuke captures in conversations the spirit of three American women artists of diverse heritages: Pablita Verlade, Mine Okubo and Louis Mailou Jones. Their paintings, drawings, lithographs and murals reflect their experiences as Native- , Asian- and African-American women.

Sandpainting: A Navajo Tradition is a 38 minute video produced by National Park Service Films and distributed by Interpark, Cortez, CO. This ceremonial practice, steeped in an age old sacred process, gives guidance and comfort to the navajo. After grinding the stones and sifting the sand, a Navajo family demonstrates the ancient rite, explaining the meaning of the sand colors and symbols. Join Sandpainters Juanita and David Peters at their home. (text courtesy of petroglyphtrail.com) Available through the Fine Arts Museum, Santa Fe.

Traditions and Innovations. This video examines contemporary Native American art of the region. The works of seven artists are featured: Frank Big Bear, David Bradley, Jeffrey Chapman, George Morrison, Wendy Savage, Carol Ann Smith and Leo Wilke. 45 minutes. (quote courtesy Plains Art Msueum)

Weavers: Contemporary Navajo Weaving is a 15 minute 1992 video produced by the Denver Art Museum.

What Follows: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith Features the art of Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. (collection of Joslyn Art Museum)

Note: TFAO does not maintain a lending library of videos or sell videos. Click here for information on how to borrow or purchase copies of VHS videos and DVDs listed in TFAO's Videos -DVD/VHS, an authoritative guide to videos in VHS and DVD format

 

Museums with a focus on Native American Art

A 3/24/08 search within the TFAO digital library retrieved 181 pages referencing the phrase "Native American art" and 449 pages referencing the phrase "Native American." To search TFAO's web site please click here.

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