Ceramic figure
All types of art are used to describe the history, culture, and traditions of people in the society. That is why the Native American art both contemporary and traditional are windows to understanding Native American culture and history. The first piece of art used was created by Angelina Medina. It is a ceramic figure that was created in 1997. According to the description, it shows that the figure has been made by clay, feathers, wood, turquoise and yarn. The creator of the sculpture is Angelina Medina, who is a well-known Native American artist. Medina was born on December 5, 1942, in the Bear Clan located at Acoma. She has been very active in creating clay arts, which became noticeable in 1983. Through her handmade clay sculptures, she has been able to win a lot of awards.
In the sculpture, there is a woman who seems to be sited and a child who is kneeling while clinging to the lap of the woman. Besides the woman, there is a pestle and a round object beside her. The woman in the sculpture is looking at the child while touching his back with the feathers in her hands. It can also be observed that the woman is wearing their traditional wear (Wald). However, the shoes seem to be modern. There is also a crown like sculptures that has been put on her head. The woman appears to have a beaded necklace and a feather on her head. The sculpture shows that the woman in the photo could be from royalty. The reason for stating this fact is because she seems to have some elegance to her. While the child appears to be dressed in the modern clothes. He has a hat on his head and trousers and a traditional looking shirt.
Analysis
The first impression one is able to get from the art sculpture is its elegance. This is because the colors are inviting and the sculpture is well made in a manner that it looks real. It can be determined that the sculpture represents a Native American culture. The mood emanating from the art is very soothing and warming. The reason could be because of the look in, which the woman in the sculpture is giving the child. That look is the same as that of a mother. She also seems to be warm and friendly. The artist used light colors as well as dark colors in making the sculpture. The woman’s clothes are cream and made with Indian designs of dark colors. All the colors directly point to the Native American culture. The child seems to have black trousers, but the shirt and cap are bright colors. In looking at the colors of the cape and the shirt one can be able to see that it resembles the colors of Indians (Wald). Indians colors, when observed, are usually bright colors such as yellow. The modernity of the culture can also be seen in the trousers that the child is wearing. The wooden pestle on the floor is similar to the real pestle that the Indians use in their kitchen. There is a lot of modernity in the sculpture, but the artist can still maintain their historical culture.
Interpretation
In looking at the sculpture, one can be able to tell that the artist is a modern woman. The reason for stating this fact is because the artist used modern life content to create the art such as the modem wear. However, the artist still maintained their historical culture. Therefore, this means that the artist is a modern woman who seems to be maintaining their culture and traditions. According to the history of the Native Americans, the women were considered to be homemakers. Their main job was to look after the children, house, and husband. In the modern world, some people continue to practice this culture. However, many have changed due to the change in time and interaction with other cultures. Many women in the society are educated and therefore, they have started changing people ideology of the role of women in the society (Kuiper). This changes might still be occurring and people’s views changing; nevertheless, many will persist in their roots and cultures. This fact can be observed from the art made by Angelina. The art reflects gendered ideas and social beliefs of the cultures of the Native Americans. The artists seem to be educated, but she still shows the role of a woman in her art. The woman in the sculpture can be seen to be looking after her son who is clinging to her from her lap. The child is also affectionate towards her, by the way, he is looking at her. There is a pestle on the floor, which indicates cooking or kitchen. This fact shows how Angelina perceives women in the society. Times may be changing, but the role of woman will always remain the same. The arts cultural meaning is that women are strong and can still take care of their children and cook for the family.
The wedding
The second art was an oil on canvas created by Eanger Irving Couse in 1924. The name of the painting is called the wedding. This art is considered to be the last painting done by Couse under the Beacon Manufacturing Company. The company is stated to have created a line of blankets that was featuring the Indian designs. The painting’s name was changed and called The Pueblo Marriage; the Pueblo Indian announces his marriage by slipping his blankets around his mates. Eanger Irving Couse was a well renowned American artists who was born in 1866 and died in 1936. He is considered to be the president of the Taos Society of Artists. Most of his notable works have to do with the Native Americans who were located in New Mexico (Leavitt). He has done many paintings throughout his life including the wedding. In the wedding, his fascination with the indigenous people can be observed. The people represented in the art are a married couple. The husband seems to be placing a blanket around his wife. This painting can be considered to be a portrait of the married couple.
Analysis
The mood of the art is gloomy since the colors used are dark colors. There is a little presence of bright colors on the painting. This could have been brought on by the fact that most people in the Native American culture like dark colored clothing. The focal point in the painting is the wife’s facial features. She seems to be sad or perhaps oppressed. The colors of the painting are dark colors. The shapes and design of the painting have to do with their traditional wear. The girl in the picture is wearing their traditional clothing’s that are yellow in color. The husband is wearing a blanket with a traditional design and colors. The patterns colors are black, blue and red (Leavitt). Their skin is depicted to be dark skinned and their hair to be black. This depiction can be observed to be accurate when looking at the traditional Native Americans. The colors have been well blended to make the painting as real as possible. Dark colors have been used in the blanket of the husband to indicate the different designs and colors that traditional Native Americans use. The shadows between the two characters in the painting have also been used with dark colors.
Interpretation
The painting shows how the artists thinks about the Native Americans culture. This can be observed from the mood of the characters in the painting. My subjective reaction is that the wife in the painting is a young girl who should not be getting married. The husband, on the other hand, looks like he is an old man. Therefore, this could be a forced marriage with a minor. The artist was magnificent at creating the meaning of how life was with the indigenous people. Many people who are not indigenous people have this firm belief that most marriages are forced and with minor girls. This belief can be observed from the painting made by Couse. The facial expressions and body language of the wife show that she is not happy with the marriage, and there could be a possibility that she was forced. This fact, therefore, indicates that it was a forced marriage.
The wife’s expression shows that she wants to cry when he puts his blanket around her shoulders. The cultural meaning that can be observed from the painting is that Native Americans practiced forced marriages with young girls. This fact could be a false observation by the artist. The reason for stating this fact is that there are different types of Native Americans. They all have their different types of marriages. In history, many Native Americans practiced polygamy (Pritzker). A man was able to marry more than one wife. This could be the reason the woman in the picture looks younger than the man. There is a possibility that the man in the painting could have had other wives. It is also customary for the young girls to get married after reaching puberty. That could explain why the girl in the painting looks young.
When the Europeans arrived in Americas, they were disappointed with the way the indigenous people were living. This prompted them to try and change their living conditions and culture. They felt that the women in the society were being oppressed and turned into slaves. The reason could be because the women in the society did a lot of work for the family such as taking care of their homes, nursing the wounded, collecting herbs and nuts and also looking after their children. Their view of women as being oppressed can be observed from the painting. This fact means that the Indians in the painting are not the primary focus but the peripheral. Therefore, Couse who is a white American is trying to showcase what they believe to be a reality for the Native Americans (Pritzker). The woman looks like she was having the worst time of her life. Her face is all gloomy one might think that she was attending a funeral.
This marriage is a sad event for her in that she looks like she wants to cry. On the other hand, the man in the photo looks like an animal marking his territory. He is claiming his ownership over her by placing a blanket around her shoulders. In looking at this facts, then a person can be able to conclude that the art does reflect social, aesthetic, gendered ideas and psychological. The gendered ideas can be seen from the way the art portrays the woman as being submissive to the husband who takes her as the bride. She looks sad and wants to cry. Psychological ideas from the art can be observed from the facial expression of the bride who looks sad and deep in thought.
In conclusion, two arts have been used to replicate the Native American culture. The first art is a sculpture that was created by Angelina a Native American. The art depicts the woman and child relationship. The culture that can be observed is that women in native America are homemakers. The second was a painting that depicts a wedding where the bride seems to be sad. This depiction is brought on by the European notion of how women are treated in the Native American society (Pritzker).
Work cited
Kuiper, Kathleen. Native American Culture. The Rosen Publishing Group, 2011. Print
Leavitt, Virgina Couse. Eanger Irving Couse: Image Maker for America. The Albuquerque Museum, 1991. Print
Pritzker, Barry. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford University Press, 2000. Print
Wald, V. C. Ceramic Figure (Zia Pueblo), Angelina Medina, Zia c. . Eiteljorg Museum, 1997. Print
