The question of realistic representation in photography is always a point for discussion, as the viewer may assume each photo tells the “truth.”   At the same time, we also understand that even our most seemingly candid photos are often posed and manipulated to get the “best” image.   What is the most effective way to tell the “truth” and what can we learn from the process of fabrication and storytelling?  
During the late 1800s, photography became more accessible to wider sectors of society.  However, as photography was a particularly new medium, it was very common for photographers to carefully construct images that they thought would be successful. (*which still carries on today)  Often photos were staged, and in the realm of Native Americans, people were commonly asked to pose in such ways that the public viewed them, not as they really were in their daily lives.   While highly problematic, Lippard emphasizes that these images are still of importance in order for us to better understand the expectations for Native Americans during this time period.   She writes, “On the positive side…[there is] the possibility that with fresh interpretations, especially from Native people, new windows into these images will be opened; the lives and beliefs of the people depicted will be released from the prisons of the colonial past into a shared present”(Partial Recall, 14).  


The work of Smithsonian anthropologist Joanna Cohan Scherer illustrates the potential impact that investigating and re-examining historical photographs of Native Americans can have on our dialogue about culture and representation.  In 1984, she discovered that previously unknown Danish photographer Benedicte Wrensted (1859-1949) had taken a large volume of photographs of members of the Comanche and Shoshone tribes (once one tribe) living in Idaho.  These photos were incredible not only aesthetically, but in that they better illuminated the Native American experience during this time period.  

The photographs had gone unattributed for years, as some were displayed in various Natural History Museums due to their striking imagery and evident anthropological importance.  The images were not only masterfully taken with a sense of excellent composition and style, but also were some of the few surviving records of Comanche and Shoshone life and dress during the turn of the century.  These portraits were taken of individuals and families as they dressed on a daily basis, lacking the strong imposition of the photographer’s narrative upon the subject.   For a decade, Joanna Cohan Scherer researched volumes of these underappreciated photographs, and identified 84% of the individuals photographed.  

While a photograph can never tell the whole story, images like these can help to bring to light otherwise unseen remnants of history. Lippard does caution us to proceed with an awareness that with changing cultural viewpoints, we have been constantly reinventing how we see such photographs ever since a photographer “took” the first Native’s image in the mid-1840s.  

Recently, contemporary Comanche painter Nocona Burgess based his painting Eddy Drink directly on a Benedicte Wrensted photograph of the individual Eddy Drink, himself.  The striking portrait of his tribal ancestor in casual pose captivated Burgess, inspiring him to re-interpret the photograph in his contemporary painting style.  Eddy Drink fits with Burgess’ style and aesthetic perfectly, as his work represents traditional Native American subject matter with updated contexts. His subjects are never frozen in time. Using a minimalist background, vibrant colors and visible brushstrokes, Burgess creates a strong graphic composition. His active role in the documentation and creative process highlights the importance of Native Americans participating in the telling of their own history.  

Burgess allows us to view Wrensted’s historically important image, depicting a realistic representation of a Fort Hall Reservation man at the turn of the 20^th century, through his own unique lens.    His painting encapsulates several layers of storytelling. It helps tell the story of photography and interpretation, Native American life, and our ability to move forward. While interpreting anew does not unlock the secrets of a photograph permanently, it can help us ask new questions and craft new viewpoints from which to examine our world.   

- Tom Jones, Ho-Chunk photographer, First American Art Magazine, p 28



Daunted by art history and theory? Fear not, a new publication has been created to help engage art enthusiasts of all backgrounds in Native American artists' experience and work.

First American Art Magazine will feature analysis of First Nations art from North and South America, allowing for inclusive dialogue in an accessible, reader friendly manner. 

In the initial discussions of creating First American Art magazine, editor America Meredith noted the growing number of Native artists not only creating vibrant work but in addition, curating shows and founding new cultural centers and museums.  A resource was needed to help those interested keep up with these changing developments in the Native American art world.  You can find more details on her blog.

According to their mission statement, the magazine founders are hoping to "discuss the human condition through the lens of Indigenous art" by inviting Native Americans to analyze not only Native made artwork, but their own experiences in relation to the mainstream art world.  They have invited contributions from academics and artists studying and working today.

First American Art Magazine will be dedicated to ensuring that artist are represented with a respect to their heritage, while allowing them to choose their own paths forward.  Each issue will feature interviews with artists, conducted by their peers also working in the art world.

The range of artists will be very inclusive, featuring those working in traditional artistic methods, as well as contemporary fashion couture, graphic design, mixed media, and digital art.  Reviews of exhibitions, books, and representations of Native communities will also be explored. 

Gallery friend and artist Teri Greeves interviewed Diné beadwork artist and fashion designer Orlando Dugi in the pilot issue on his career and inspiration.  She's done an exceptional job conveying his considered attention to detail and reverence for cultural tradition, and highlights the exciting trajectory of his career into the world of fashion couture. 

No, not quite!  Many of our Native American artists use a type of sea shell called "spiny oyster shell"  also known as "spondylus."  Archaeologists have found evidence for jewelry being made from the shell as early as the Neolithic period, 5000 years ago.  The shell comes in a variety of colors, ranging from red, purple, orange and yellow.  In jewelry, we can  distinguish the shell from other stones (as well as the commonly confused coral) by the white variation found throughout.  

The first Native Americans of the Southwest to learn silver smithing were the Navajo, whose knowledge of silver came initially from the Spanish during the 1500s. It was not until 1870, however, that silver work really took hold in the American Southwest. After basing their technique on original Spanish methods, the Navajo began to adapt designs to incorporate traditional cultural meanings and their own sense of artistry.

During the 1880’s, Navajo silver smiths began setting stones in their pieces, specifically turquoise and other tribes such as the Zuni followed with their inlay style. For them, turquoise symbolized the sky and water and was associated with healing and protection. The American Southwest is an ideal environment for turquoise, which is a mineral generally found at higher elevations in semiarid regions.

After being marginalized as a culture due to Western expansion, native artists were able to use these locally mined stones and their skilled craftsmanship for monetary survival. Despite constraints on Native culture, jewelry design and innovation flourished.

We wanted to take a moment to explain a term that appears quite a bit on our web site for those of you who aren't jewelry makers or sellers. The term is repousse, (pronounced rupoosay). It is the process or the product of ornamenting metal with designs in relief pushed or hammered out from the back. The metal is pushed but, its thickness remains the same. The process is of ancient origin, having been employed by most early civilizations. Above is repousse work done by Cody Sanderson. Cody often stamps the outline of the raised area and darkens it as well. Visit our web site for more examples by artists such as Thomas Curtis, Alex Sanchez and Harry Begay.

The Zuni Knife-wing figure was a favorite among tourists during the early 1900's. As described by anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing, who lived with the Zunis from 1879-1884:
"This curious god is the hero of hundreds of folklore tales, the tutelary deity of several societies of Zuni. He is represented as possessing a human form, furnished with flint knife-feathered pinions, and tail. His dress consists of the conventional terraced cap (representative of his dwelling place among the clouds)... His weapons are the Great Flint-Knife of War, the Bow of the Skies (the Rainbow), and the Arrow of Lightning. His guardians or warriors are the Great Mountain Lion of the North and that of the upper regions. He was doubtless the original War God of the Zunis."
Zuni silversmith Horace Iule is credited with creating the first knife-wing design in the late 1920s. His first one was cut and filed out of wrought silver. Loved by Indian traders, they asked him to make more. Later, the knife-wing became one of the first designs that the Zuni jewelry artists inlaid with stones.

If you're interested in the amazing art of Southwestern jewelry, the book "Southwestern Indian Jewelry" is a must read. In fact, it's a must own. It is a fabulous source on the Native artisans who create the top of the line jewelry of this region, and gives tremendous insight into their process. The images alone are well worth it. We use this book constantly at the gallery, it's just that good.

This is a wonderful jar from the Gallegos Collection, maker unknown. It's circa 1925, Zia Polychrome Jar with Birds and Rainbow Band.











This amazing jar is a Geometric Polychrome Jar by Lucy M. Lewis (1898-1992). Acoma 1960's
Anasazi Design