"When I first began to paint, I used to go to the ancient village and pick up pieces of pottery and copy the designs. That is how I learned to paint. But now, I just close my eyes and see designs and I paint them." - Nampeyo.
It's worth getting off the Interstate or taking a cab from the airport if you have a three hour layover or simply worth a special trip.
Denver Art Museum's American Indian Art Collection.
I made my third journey to DAM's Native collection just a couple weeks ago. It has a wonderful permanant collection and newer work by living Native artists they rotates in and out.
Included in this post is some work by Nampeyo, the famous Hopi potter and by Rhonda Holy Bear, the Cheyenne River Sioux artist, plus a detail image of Standing Bear's tipi and an Edward Curtis photograph of a Hopi potter.
At each visit, I see something old that I knew I loved and something new I didn't know existed. Isn't that what a great museum visit is all about?
So visit the Denver Art Museum when ever you have the chance.
Oh, and yea, they have some pretty good stuff by some white folk too.
All images (c) Stu Jenks 2012 except for the Curtis of course (but I did take the pic of his photo. And a friend just told me it is of Nampeyo herself. Great image. A great potter.)
As I recall, the ES Curtis image you includes is of Nampeyo herself, or so I was told in the 1970s by a friend who owned the entire Curtis portfolio. I know her great-grandson, Dan Namingha from the same period.
Posted by: Ken Bacher | March 25, 2012 at 05:58 PM