The American Indian culture is distinct in the way it is portrayed in various medium, including art. While American Indian art has received little media attention with only a few pieces being showcased on national galleries, it has a huge influence on the way we view American Indian life. This art collection features American Indian art created by artists from different backgrounds and times and using different styles. The theme of the collection is to showcase how American Indian life has remained unchanged through the eyes of art even when artists and presentation styles have evolved over the ages.
All the paintings have a commonality in that they portray an aspect of American Indian life that when analyzed contribute to an understanding of the American-Indian culture. The paintings were done by different artists, for different reasons, and using different painting styles. All the pieces were, however, symbolic to the painters and their interpretation showcases the stereotypes and overarching emotions present within the artistes as well as the communities at the time of their creation. The paintings also show the classical Indian setting untouched by modern influence hence alluding to the community’s isolation (Pennington).
Interest in making the collection based on American Indian culture came in the wake of the Standing Rock protests that have showcased American ignorance of American Indian tradition and struggles (Monet). To get a better understanding of a culture one needs to understand that culture’s art hence the need to showcase American-Indian life through the eyes of various painters from within and without the community. Many artists have labored to showcase the transformation of American Indian life through paintings and their efforts need to be displayed and shared with other people.
Works Cited
Monet, Jenni. For Native ‘water protectors,’ Standing Rock protest has become fight for religious freedom, human rights. 03 November 2016. Web. 11 November 2016.
Pennington, Emily. CATEGORY ARCHIVES: JAMES ARTHUR. 2016. Web. 11 November 2016.