This exhibition features vibrant portraits of Indigenous people by printmaker Daniel Heyman (b. 1963) and graphic designer Lucy Ganje (b. 1949). Their collaborative process included interviews with the twelve subjects, support from four Indigenous Nations, and production by a printing team and papermaker. The entire portfolio was printed in North Dakota on handmade paper created from the pulp of trees grown on local reservations.
Heyman and Ganje’s approach provides an important counterpoint to generalized and romanticized depictions of Native Americans by artists such as George Catlin and Edward Curtis. Here, the named sitters are presented through both portraits and their own words. They share their lives as activists, educators, entrepreneurs, politicians, veterans, and parents, discussing topics like family history, climate change, and the legacy of forced assimilation. Historical paintings and sculptures often imply that Indigenous peoples were on the verge of “vanishing,” but these works are living testimonies that these communities remain rich, varied, personal, and very much alive.
Exhibition on view at the Art Museum of South Texas through Sept. 30, 2023.
This is one in a series of American art exhibitions created through a multi-year, multi-institutional partnership formed by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art as part of the Art Bridges Cohort Program.
17 май 2023
