Quick-to-See

     The history of Native American art can be traced back thousands of years from Paleo-Indian art forms of the Americas to present day contemporary art.  Although, widespread genocide and prejudice have historically kept the names of artists and their work from ever being recorded, contemporary Native American women artists continue to make art while surveying and combining elements of their ancestral traditions.  Phoebe Farris a Native American scholar, curator and artist on the forefront of promoting and exhibiting Native American female artists, explains in her book "Contemporary Native American Women Artists: Visual Expressions Of Feminism, The Environment, And Identity", that contemporary Native American women artists continue to explore art traditions from before colonization, styles developed during early colonialism and work within “ a myriad of media and styles, we fuse past and current history, oppose racism and sexism, and deconstruct stereotypical mainstream representations of our identities as women and as persons of color.” (Farris 108)
      Art through the lens of Native American women depicts the suffering and persecution of life on reservations and in confinement, as well as contemporary artistic commentary.  In addition to being ostracized for race, Native American women are further alienated by gender, resulting in smaller works that often lack exposure and overlap with “crafts”.  Further compounding these issues is that the American Indian visual language and the materials used historically have varied greatly from European-derived art, making the work seem more unfamiliar and further removing it from mainstream art circles. Native American women were producing pottery, basketry, elaborate bead and textile weaving, as well as painting on uncommon mediums such as leather.  “Among Native American peoples, many of whom had inhabited these lands for thousands of years, visual cultural and social life were integrated in ways not easily assimilated to European models.” (Chadwick 211)  Rayna Green a Cherokee writer reiterates this idea in her book That's What She Said, by writing that "... women have always kept the stories, in clay or reeds, in wool or cotton, in grass or paint..."
     One contemporary female artist that is leading the way for other Native American women to transcend these barriers is Jaune Quick-to-See Smith a Native American of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Quick-to-See is a contemporary scholar, curator, political activist, and prolific artist whose work embodies both modern and traditional influences that also functions as political criticisms of the alienation from Western culture.  Smith is also the author of "Women of Sweetgrass, Cedar, And Sage", a women’s quarterly magazine that showcases women, art and Native American life.
     In her painting, “Trade Canoe (Gifts for Trading Land with White People),”  Quick-to-See features Asian-made tokens such as tomahawks, sports caps, beaded belts, and feather headdresses hanging on a chain above the Flathead Salish canoe.  This piece is a protest against using American Indian tribes as mascots for sports which are presented on the sports caps in the piece.  In “Trade Canoe” she offers us to “trade these “gifts,” which white people are so enamored with, for land that reflects the invasion of her reservation by white people less than one hundred years ago.” (Farris 109)

"Trade Canoe" Juane Quick-to-See Smith

In her piece "What befalls the Earth" Smith  uses modern themes and speaks to the destruction of our earth. It is a reminder to us of our interconnectedness with the earth and a warning that we will suffer whatever befalls it. The painting "Posole" illustrates her artistic diversity and inclusion of modern Western influences in her work.  This piece is heavily influenced by Andy Warhol's famous Campbell's Soup can piece, however she puts a Native American spin on in it by naming it posole, which is a traditional stew made by indigenous peoples of the Americas similar to western chicken soup. Another political piece that speaks to Native American assimilation and the continued wars waged on natives peoples is titled "Cowboys and Indians".  Horses were an important part of her life, prolific in  her work and represent symbolic significance.  "War Horse" is striking representation of the many Indian lives lost in the struggle.

"What Befalls the Earth" Juane Quick -to-See Smith

"Posole" Juane quick-to-See Smith



"Cowboys and Indians" Jaune Quick-to-See- Smith

"War Horse" Juane Quick-to-See Smith

Her paintings incorporate glyphs with collage using iconic symbols  such as U.S. Flags and maps as well as traditional Native American imagery of canoes, horses, and tribally significant items.  Her narrative conveys humor with powerful political messages.  The themes and issues consistently addressed in her work reflect a reverence for nature, animals, and humankind. Additionally, Quick-to-See refuses to use art materials that pollute the environment and strives to find new methods of non-toxic printmaking.  She also takes extra precautions about the studio space used and the shipping costs incurred while producing or transporting pieces. Smith teaches workshops and lectures at universities across the country and promotes a curriculum that is all inclusive and designed for everyone to enjoy and be enlightened by.

LINKS:
Smithsonian National Museum of the Native American- http://nmai.si.edu/home
Meet Juane and learn about her work- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BtEJqvhosw
Learn about her tribal nation- http://www.cskt.org

Geronimo & Apache Warriors
Photographed before the surrender to General Crook March 27,1886
(photo by C.S. Fly)

BIBLIOGRAHY:

Chadwick, Whitney. Women, Art, and Society. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson Inc., 1990.

Farris, Phoebe. "Contemporary Native American Women Artists: Visual Expressions Of Feminism, The Environment, And Identity." Feminist Studies 31.1 (2005): 95-109. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 6 Nov. 2013.

Smith, Jaune Quick-to-See. "Women Of Sweetgrass, Cedar, And Sage." Women's Studies Quarterly 15.1/2 (1987): 35-41. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 6 Nov. 2013.