ART 1010

Three Examples of Native American Art

Art is defined differently by each person, and I tend to lean towards a personal definition as well. It is a play on the words of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when he was referring to obscenity. “I know it when I see it.” This allows me to recognize what I consider art, and it also gives me the ability to decide what types of art speak to me. Native American art has always been close to my heart because of my personal ancestry, and I hope to pique the reader’s interest in some of the fine examples of this art that are readily accessible today (1964).

Native North American tribes, in large part were nomadic and struggled for their everyday existence. Most native art is considered craft work because they were meant to be utilized as practical tools. Some examples include, woven blankets and rugs, pottery, and baskets. Other pieces of their art fall within a few other categories, and include jewelry, beadwork, and headdresses. The architecture of these tribes may not be considered artistic by some standards, but I feel that there is a certain rustic beauty to it. Each of the pieces I will discuss fall easily within these categories.

Design is an important element to any piece of art, and it is especially important for craft pieces that are intended for use. The design must meet certain standards to be useful. For example, a blanket needs to not only keep a person warm, but it must be somewhat light and easy to clean. Artistic embellishments come into play only when those basic design requirements are met. This also applies to architecture. How useful would a home be if it didn’t protect the inhabitants from the elements?

One of the most famous groups of Native craftspeople is the Navajo weavers. These women (usually) begin with raw wool that they have been sheared from a Navajo-Churro sheep, which is a breed that was developed after they were brought to the Americas by the Spanish. In many cases these sheep are owned by the weaver or their family. The weaver then processes the wool by washing it and spinning it into yarn. Originally the yarn was then dyed one of three colors, red, brown, or indigo. Later other colors were integrated as they became more available through trade. The rugs or blankets are then woven on an upright loom. These techniques changed through the decades as technology became more available. In our day there has been a resurgence of interest in the traditional weaving, and there are many master weavers that rely solely on these methods for producing their pieces.

Clara Sherman is one of these modern weavers. She is a master Navajo weaver and has many great pieces. She does not name her pieces. It is important to note that she is nearly one hundred years old and is continuing to weave and to teach as well. The artistic design of her pieces falls well within the Navajo tradition. The design is usually geometric in style and may or may not include rough figures. In the cases where figures are included they are usually very stylized and shown in native dress. Symmetry is also a key function of the design, most pieces are completely symmetrical. One interesting thing to note is that these patterns are also usually tied to a specific geographic area.

The following link will give you an example of Clara’s work: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/Clara_Sherman.jpg . The link leads to a picture of Clara standing in front of one of her rugs. You can see all of the elements I outlined above in her piece.

The second example of Native American art I chose to discuss is the totem pole. This type of work is found throughout the Pacific Northwest, both in the United States and in Canada. Because totems were constructed of natural materials, kept outdoors, and in a temperate environment very few survive more than one hundred years. There are very few examples of totems from before 1900.

Totems are interesting because they vary so greatly in their purpose. Totems were used as guideposts in the thick forests of the Pacific Northwest. They were also used to designate a grave, they tell stories, commemorate grate battles. However they are not used as shrines, and they were never worshipped.

Modern totem carvers are trying to connect with ancient traditions in much the same way the Navajo weavers are. Tommy Joseph is a modern Tlingit artist that has specialized largely in woodworking. He is a good example of a modern day totem carver trying to hold close to tradition. An example of his work can be found at http://www.kiksadi.com/sitka/images/tlingit_kiksaditotem.jpg

Artistic design in relation to the sculpture is interesting. The figures represented in the pieces are very stylized and dramatic. The fact that these pieces are placed outdoors leads me to believe that an overly detailed sculpture may degrade quicker, so it might be a matter of practicality to make the figures somewhat caricatured. In most cases the poles include several figures. The figures vary, but common figures include most of the native species of the Pacific Northwest. Human forms are also common. In most cases the wood is painted and/or varnished to help preserve it and to add definition and drama to the piece. One of the things that I find interesting about these pieces is that they are going to decay. The art is not going to survive beyond a generation or two, and they will change in appearance over time. I am sure that this needs to be taken into account when the piece in made.

For the third example of Native American art I would like to discuss are the Pueblo dwelling of the four corners region on the United States. These dwelling come in many shapes and sizes, and I want to focus on what have become known as cliff dwellings. These small villages are usually situated on a cliff side within an impression or shallow cave. These structures are primarily utilitarian, but they also very beautiful.

The cliff dwelling that I want to focus on is the Betatakin ruin in the Navajo National Monument. It is similar to the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings that are found in the south east corner of Colorado. The buildings are made of sandstone and adobe mortar. In some cases adobe bricks are also used. This link http://www.jqjacobs.net/southwest/betatakin.html is a photo gallery of some of dwellings in the village. Very little is known about the people that inhabited these structures, but it is known that they were abandoned around 1300 AD. There is a lot of speculation as to why they were built into the cliff side, but it is predominately thought that it was because that safety was a primary factor. These dwellings would have been relatively easy to defend because of their location. Another thought was that living in the caves would leave the most land available for farming. Either way, these dwellings are breathtaking.

The design of the buildings is primarily simple stone walls with timber and thatch roofs. Because they were built into the rock, the walls are not uniform, and the buildings are built on several different levels with adjoining staircases or ladders. Kivas were also included in the structures. These are special rooms or structures used for religious purposes. Because of the basic nature of the buildings they have decidedly rectangular look. This contrasts well with the free-form nature of the surrounding cave.

The influence of the world in which we live is a huge factor in the art we produce, and I think that is reflected well in the pieces I have discussed. In each case the artists used the culture from which they came as a starting point. In most cases they acknowledge the natural world around them as well through the materials they use.

Native American art is not well known because I believe that it is relatively rare. Native artists rarely use the traditional mediums, such as paint on a canvas, and this may also have something to do with it. I think it would be a great service to all Americans to be aware of the art and traditions of those who lived on this continent before our ancestors came to it. We live in a world in which multi-culturism is celebrated, yet it seems that we do not acknowledge the culture that was here before we were.