Organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Portland Art Museum (PAM), Dakota Modern: The Art of Oscar Howe highlights one of the twentieth century’s most innovative Native American painters. Oscar Howe (1915-1983), a Yanktonai Dakota, developed a characteristically individual style which departed from traditional American Indian art.
In his biographical sketch of Oscar Howe in Notable Native Americans, Christopher Tower writes:
“One of the most influential Native American artists of the twentieth century, Oscar Howe was among the first Indian artists to combine traditional and modern forms in paintings, and is therefore credited with pioneering a new phase of artistic expression in American Indian art.”
According to PAM:
“Howe challenged the art establishment’s preconceptions and definitions of Native American painting. In doing so, he catalyzed a movement among Native artists to express their individuality rather than conforming to an established style. This legacy of innovation and advocacy continues to inspire generations of Native artists to take pride in their heritage and resist stereotypes.”
According to PAM:
“Howe’s mature compositional approach involved transforming subjects and backgrounds into a series of fractured planes using two-dimensional flat surfaces to represent a three-dimensional space. Much to his frustration, a pervasive narrative emerged in the scholarship asserting that his artwork was influenced by cubism. Some even leapt to the false conclusion that Howe was exposed to European art while in Germany during his wartime service. While Howe was thoroughly educated in European and American art traditions of the twentieth century, he insisted that his art in both form and execution was deeply rooted in Dakota compositional and philosophical traditions.”
Shown below are some of Howe’s modern art works,
Shown above is Abstraction after Wakacara, 1973. Casein on paper.
Shown above is War Dancer, 1968. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Buffalo Dance, 1968. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Sioux Women Grooming, 1967. Casein on paper.
Detail from Sioux Women Grooming
Shown above is Breaking a Wild Horse, 1967. Casein on paper.
Detail from Breaking a Wild Horse
Shown above is Meditation, 1968. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Victory Dance, 1954. Casein on paper.
Detail from Victory Dance
Shown above is He Came from Fire, 1965. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Dancers, 1969. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Cunka Wakan (Dakota Horse), 1966. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Retreat, 1969. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Meditation, 1969. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Rider, 1968. Casein on paper.
Shown above is Courting, 1970. Casein on paper.
According to PAM:
“While this riot of fractured red and yellow planes may appear as pure abstraction, the title is actually descriptive: in northern Plains courting traditions, young men were allowed to visit an eligible woman while standing underneath a blanket for privacy.”
More modern American Indian art
Indians 101: Sunflower by Walla Walla artist James Lavadour (museum tour)
Indians 101: Caddo artist Raven Halfmoon (museum tour)
Indians 101: Glass art by Marcus Amerman with Preston Singletary (museum tour)
Indians 101: Contemporary Indian animal art (museum tour)
Indians 101: Glass art by Marcus Amerman (museum tour)
Indians 101: Glass Art by Northwest Native Carvers and Weavers (Art Diary)
Indians 101: Reborn Rez Wrecks (museum tour)
Indians 101: Exploring Glass Art by Native Artists (Art Diary)