Post-Modern Art in 20th-century U.S. Art WEEEK 16

  • Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pater, 1982 Acrylic & oil stick on canvas, 84” x 72” Private Collection

    Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pater, 1982 Acrylic & oil stick on canvas, 84” x 72” Private Collection

    The artwork incorporates the raw technique of Neo-expressionism. The painting blends graffiti art and high art to establish the positioning of the artwork. The painting incorporates bold lines and colors. Identity, racism, and the dynamics of power form some of the themes. There is also the title “Pater,” meaning father in Latin. https://artincontext.org/untitled-skull-painting-by-jean-michel-basquiat/
  • JMB, Riding with Death, 1988 Acrylic & oil stick on linen, 98” x 114” Private Collection

    JMB, Riding with Death, 1988 Acrylic & oil stick on linen, 98” x 114” Private Collection

    Riding with Death is considered one of Basquiat's final and most poignant works, often interpreted as a "prophetic self-portrait" due to his death shortly after its creation in 1988. The painting is a significant piece within the Neo-Expressionist movement, exploring themes of mortality and the African Diaspora through its raw style and stark imagery. https://rafaelroden.com/blog/2017/2/13/riding-with-death-art-review
  • James Luna, End of the Frail, 1991

    James Luna, End of the Frail, 1991

    The artwork critiques the colonialist notion that Indigenous peoples were "dying out" as put forth by images like James Earle Fraser's "End of the Trail". Its characteristics include the use of juxtaposition and self-portraiture to call attention to the unheroic realities and the erasure of real struggles faced by Indigenous communities. https://www.instagram.com/p/CGQUYnJFjjq/
  • Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People), 1992, oil paint and mixed media, collage, objects, canvas, 152.4 x 431.8 cm (Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia)

    Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People), 1992, oil paint and mixed media, collage, objects, canvas, 152.4 x 431.8 cm (Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia)

    The installation honors the 500-year mark of Columbus' landing but also acknowledges the imbalance in the history of the interactions between the Native American community and the United States Federal Government. The installation includes mixed media collage techniques. There are newspaper articles containing stereotypical images. https://samblog.seattleartmuseum.org/2024/04/smith-audio-tour-trading-land-with-white-people/#
  • Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Made in America: McFlag, 1996, oil and mixed media on 2 panel canvas with speakers and electrical cord, 60 x 100 inches.

    Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Made in America: McFlag, 1996, oil and mixed media on 2 panel canvas with speakers and electrical cord, 60 x 100 inches.

    The painting is significant to the art movement/culture as it engages with American art history, specifically referencing Jasper Johns' iconic Flag painting. Characteristics include the use of collage elements like newspaper scraps and fabric, combined with acrylic paint and charcoal, to explore themes of identity, land, and social issues from an Indigenous perspective. https://4columns.org/d-souza-aruna/jaune-quick-to-seesmith#:~:text=Jaune%20Quick%2Dto%2DSee%20Smi
  • Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, War Horse in Babylon, 2005, O/C, 60” x 120” Flomenhaft Gallery, NYC

    Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, War Horse in Babylon, 2005, O/C, 60” x 120” Flomenhaft Gallery, NYC

    The painting is important in Native American art today for challenging the mainstream ideology. The techniques in the painting combine different styles of painting. The subject of the painting revolves around nature and society problems. These problems can be identified in a disturbing image of a horse silhouette, burning colors, skulls, and bones. https://www.fortworthkey.org/post/jaune-quick-to-see-smith-memory-map-on-view-through-january-212024/#:~:text
  • Four Seasons: Spring 2006

    Four Seasons: Spring 2006

    This particular artwork effectively criticizes stereotypes of Native Americans in Western art by satirically presenting how Native Americans have been depicted in art. This artwork comprises highly staged and colored photographs of Crow culture mixed with the esthetic of cardboard cutouts and plastic flowers. The themes of the artwork include identity in culture, representation in art, colonialism in culture, and femininity. https://museemagazine.com/culture/2023/8/22/
  • James Luna, Sometimes I Get So Lonely, circa 2011. Series of nine photographs. Digital inkjet prints, 11 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. each. Courtesy of the James Luna Estate

    James Luna, Sometimes I Get So Lonely, circa 2011. Series of nine photographs. Digital inkjet prints, 11 1/2 × 7 1/2 in. each. Courtesy of the James Luna Estate

    This work is significant to contemporary Native American art as it challenges mainstream representations and objectification of Indigenous peoples. Major characteristics include the use of the artist's own body and performance to dismantle prejudices and explore cultural identity. https://www.artsy.net/artwork/james-luna-sometimes-i-get-so-lonely-ishi-i#:~:text=Sometimes%20I%20Get%20So%20Lonely%20(Ishi)%20I%2C,of%20Native%20Americans%20in%20the%20United%20States.
  • James Luna Before 2018 Red baseball hat, white embroidery, beadwork, feather

    James Luna Before 2018 Red baseball hat, white embroidery, beadwork, feather

    The artwork is a significant piece of contemporary Native American art that uses performance and objecthood to make a political statement. The subversion of a popular political slogan and the use of traditional beadwork are major characteristics, exploring themes of Indigenous identity, land rights, and self-determination. https://www.bard.edu/news/indian-theater-at-hessel-museum-is-a-new-york-times-critics-pick-2023-08-