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Daphne Odjig, The Indian in Transition, 1978, Acrylic on canvas, 2.74 x 8.23 m, Collection of the Canadian Museum of History, Gatineau, Quebec.
The rebirth of Indian consciousness created emotions that made the subject matter of my art more spontaneous. I was no longer preoccupied with the mechanical aspects of art, or with personal survival. My work was empowered by the joys, sorrows, and survival of my people in transition. (Odjig:The Art of Daphne Odjig 1960-2000, Key Porter Books, 2001, p. 54)
Welcome to Session Five
Welcome to Session Five
In post World War II times Indigenous artists began to change their work, modifying their earlier work of flat, two-dimensional traditional painting on paper and canvas surfaces with the static images of people, land, and animals.
The work of the six Indigenous artists whom we will study in this Session represents this post World War II change; they are identified here as Early Contemporary Indigenous Artists. This group of artists is followed by Indigeneous artists whose work is influenced by the activism of the 1970s and the new approaches to art which began in the 1980s and which continues to today. (Sessions Six-Nine)
Early Contemporary Indigenous Artists
Early Contemporary Indigenous Artists
Scroll below through this group of early contemporary Indigenous artists to view their individual work.
T.C. Cannon (1946 - 1978)
Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)
Oscar Howe (1915 -1983)
Rick Bartow (1946-2016)
Daphne Odjig (1919-2016)
Kent Monkman (b. 1965)
T.C. Cannon (1946-1978)
T.C. Cannon (1946-1978)
T.C. Cannon
# 1. T.C. Cannon (1946-1978), Caddo/Kiowa
For further background information
T.C. Cannon's Beef Issue at Fort Sill, By John Lukavic, Denver Art Museum, Nov. 3, 2020.
An Art Revolution: T.C. Cannon Shows Native Life at The Edge Of America. From Issue: Spring 2019/ Vol. 20 No.1, Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.
Cannon , Tommy Wayne (1946-1978) Oklahoma Historical Society, The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture
T.C Cannon, At the Edge of America, Gilcrease Museum, July 12, 2018
T.C. Cannon, iCOLORES!, NM PBS, YouTube 8.30 min
See work below by T.C. Cannon
Work by T.C. Cannon
T.C. Cannon, Beef Issue at Fort Sill, 1973
T. C. Cannon, Two Guns Arikara, 1974–1977. Acrylic and oil on canvas. 71.5" x 55.5".
T.C. Cannon, Self Portrait in the Studio, 1975, Oil on canvas, 72 x 52".
Exhibition: Preoccupied, Indigenizing the Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, April 21, 2024 to February 16, 2025.
Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)
Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)
Fritz Scholder
# 2. Fritz Scholder (1937 - 2005), Luiseño
Further Background Information
How Native American Fritz Scholder Forever Changed the Art World. An exhibit in Denver looks at why we should all be grateful that Scholder broke his word. By Jordan Steffen, Smithsonian, December 29, 2015
Highlighting Native Artist Fritz Scholder By John Lukavic, Denver Art Museum, Oct. 16, 2015.
Fritz Scholder, Indian/Not Indian, YouTube, 10.11 min.
See work below by Fritz Scholder
Fritz Scholder, Indian No. 1, 1967
"This painting, Indian No. 1, and the works that followed thrust contemporary styles into a genre dominated by what Scholder characterized as “flat” and, at times, disingenuous depictions of Native Americans. His paintings disrupted comfort zones — even for Native Americans — by rawly exposing issues including alcoholism, unemployment and cultural clashes.
But for Scholder, who was one-quarter Native American, the choice to paint the charged subject matter was — as in any of his paintings — second to his love of color and focus on composition. Scholder did not fully embrace his Native American heritage. He was, at his core, a painter." Smithsonian, December 29, 2015
From left to right, work by Fritz Scholder: A Portrait with One Eye (1975), Seated Indian with Rifle After Remington (1976), Indian Power (1972)
Fritz Scholder, 1968, Arts Faculty at the Institute of American Art at 4:15 pm., oil on canvas
Fritz Scholder, Indian at the Bar, 1969. Oil on canvas. 30x30".
Exhibition, Preoccupied, Indigenizing the Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, April 21, 2024 to February 16, 2025.
Fritz Scholder, Self Portrait with Grey Cat, 2003
"A painter of Native American subject matter in the 1960s and 1970s, Fritz Scholder developed an approach that became known as Indian Pop. This is his last self-portrait, made in 2003 when he was battling complications brought on by diabetes. The dark, moody canvas features the artist boldly facing the viewer as he leans on his cane. His eyes are covered by tinted glasses, and the tubes from his oxygen tank are visibly running from his nose to the ambiguously shadowy floor, which has been described as a reference to the "shadow of death."
"An avid reader, Scholder chose to include two books in the foreground, and the gray cat likely refers to the Egyptian feline goddess Bastet. Critics, who often cite this painting as a particularly important self-portrait, also point to the influence of Francis Bacon, an artist Scholder deeply admired." Smithsonian Natural Portrait Gallery.
Oscar Howe (1915-1983)
Oscar Howe (1915-1983)
Oscar Howe
# 3. Oscar Howe (1915-1983), Lakota, born at Joe Creek on the Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota.
"Howe (1915–1983) committed his artistic career to the preservation, relevance, and ongoing expression of his Yanktonai Dakota culture. He proved that art could be simultaneously modern and embedded in customary Očhéthi Šakówiŋ (Sioux) culture and aesthetics—to him there was no contradiction.
"Howe challenged the art establishment’s preconceptions and definitions of Native American painting. In doing so, he catalyzed a movement among Native artists to express their individuality rather than conforming to an established style. This legacy of innovation and advocacy continues to inspire generations of Native artists to take pride in their heritage and resist stereotypes."(National Museum of American Indian)
Further background information
Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe, the National Museum of the American Indian, March 11–September 11, 2022, New York, NY
Oscar Howe, Biography, South Dakota Art Museum, April 6, 2015
Oscar Howe : Dakota, Modern, American, Smithsonian, NMAI, YouTube, 16.40 min.
See work below by Oscar Howe
Work by Oscar Howe
Oscar Howe, SunDance, 1965
Oscar Howe, Fighting Bucks, 1967
Oscar Howe, Umine Dance, 1965
Rick Bartow (1946-2016)
Rick Bartow (1946-2016)
Rick Bartow
# 4. Rick Bartow, (1946 - 2016) Wiyot) lived and worked in Newport, Oregon. He was a Vietnam Veteran, a lifelong musician and songwriter, and an enrolled member of the Mad River Band of Wiyot Indians.
Further background information
Healing By Carving: The Rick Bartow Cedar Poles. by Anya Montiel, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. From Issue: Fall 2012 / Vol. 13 No. 3
National Museum of the American Indian Welcomes New Sculptures by Artist Rick Bartow, August 30, 2012, News Release
High Desert Museum, Rick Bartow, Animal Kinship - From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation, September 20, 2024 – February 9, 2025
Rick Bartow (Mad River Wiyot), 1946-2016, Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, April 6, 2015
A Moment with Rick Bartow, Jodan Schnitzer Museum, YouTube, 1.54 min
We Were Always Here, a contemporary art installation carved by artist Rick Bartow, National Museum of the American Indian, YouTube, 5.43 min.
See work below by Rick Bartow
Rick Bartow, Crow Dance, 2014. Acrylic paint and graphite on unstretched canvas; 73 x 96 in. Denver Art Museum.
"Rick Bartow drew inspiration from his Wiyot ancestry and was influenced by contemporary artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Fritz Scholder. In this painting, Bartow combines a human form with a crow in a state of transformation. Metamorphosis or transformation are central themes in Bartow’s work, which is reflected in his painting technique. The overlapping human and animal forms were achieved through repeated application, removal, and smudging of acrylic paints and graphite." Denver Art Museum.
Rick Bartow, Masquerade, 2015. Acrylic on canvas: 73 x 75 1/4 in. Denver Art Museum.
# 5. Daphne Odjig (1919-2016)
# 5. Daphne Odjig (1919-2016)
Daphne Odjig
Daphne Odjig, (1919 - 2016) born on Manitoulin Island’s Wikwemikong Reserve of Odawa, of Potawatomi and of English heritage was a member of the Ojibwa Tribe. She first learned about art-making from her grandfather, Jonas Odjig, a tombstone carver who taught her to draw and paint.
Further background information
Daphine Odjig Artist at the Mc Michael, Canada Art Channel, YouTube, 8.31 min.
See work below by Daphne Odjig
See work below by Daphne Odjig
Daphne Odjig, The Squaw Man, Silkscreen, 1975
Daphne Odjig, The Rhythm of the Drum, Silkscreen, 1977
Daphne Odjig, Dominic & Lucy, Silkscreen, 1977
Daphne Odjig, Piggy Back, Silkscreen, 1981
Daphne Odjig, Companions, Silkscreen, 1992
Daphne Odjigm. A Tribute to Courage, Serigraph
"Odjig has developed a distinct style based on the beautifully abstracted human form. The visual motif central to her work is the circle, which to the Ojibwa signifies completion and perfection and is symbolic to women. This motif is characterized by undulating, rhythmic lines, often heavily outlined, enclosing local colour in soft harmonious shades. Her subject matter deals with human relationships in the context of Native culture, the importance of grandparents, the function of the family unit, and the universal theme of mother and child." From bearclaw Gallery.
#6. Kent Monkman (b. 1965)
#6. Kent Monkman (b. 1965)
Ken Monkman
Kent Monkman (b. 1965) is a Canadian First Nations artist of Cree ancestry. He is also a member of the Fisher River band situated in Manitoba's Interlake Region. He lives and works in Toronto, Ontario and is noted as both a performance artist and a painter.
Further background information
Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, Ken Muckman's Alter Ego, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2019
Kent Monkman, Cree, b. 1965,.mistikôsiwak Wooden Boat People): Welcoming the Newcomers, 2019.
How "Miss Chief" Can Help Us Rethink Art History. By Ted Loos, April 21, 2025. Denver hosts the first U.S. museum survey of Kent Monkman, a member of the Fisher River Cree Nation whose large paintings are inspired in part by old masters.
Ken Monkman's The Scream: Images that define atrocities
"But can art really shape the narrative of war and atrocity, asks Karen Burshtein. Canadian Cree artist Kent Monkman's graphic and gut-wrenching painting The Scream (2017) depicts a chaotic scene. Mothers are held back by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Mounties) as they lunge toward their children, who have been snatched from their arms by Catholic priests. That scene encapsulates the anguish of the all-too real history of aggressive assimilation that saw children torn away from their families and taken to residential schools, and where untold other abuses, physical and sexual, took place. The practice was in effect from the 1880s to the 1990s, led by the Catholic Church with the approbation of the Canadian government." Karen Burshtein, 7 July 2021, BBC
Kent Monkman, mistikôsiwak Wooden Boat People: Welcoming the Newcomers, 2019, Acrylic on canvas, 132 x 264 inches, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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