Julian Mendoza

Native Americans/Birds of Prey

Mendoza is a native american artists with cultural roots in the southern Aztec tribes. These particular pieces focus on depicting tribesmen with birds of prey. Their clothing reflects and embodies the bird behind them, showing that they hold deep spiritual meaning, or perhaps share their aspects.
"As I began to pursue my personal Native journey, I soon realized my admiration and respect for these regal birds came from a deeper place. Native People consider Birds of Prey sacred, especially the Eagle. We have looked to Father Sky and gained strength from Cuauhtli (Native for Eagle) for thousands of years. Their feathers are highly respected and thought to have great powers, and they are used in many of our traditional ceremonies." -Julian Mendoza- source
I like this idea of giving people aspects of animals they are associated with, either through their clothing or through their features. This is something i would like to take into my work, but I want to stay well away from anthropomorphism as much as I can. I want to focus on my work appearing tribal, in a manner similar to cave paintings. Since i don't plan to use any text, I need my characters to clearly show what they are and how they act, so showing their qualities and character through animalistic features could be a good direction.

Deepti Nair and Harikrishnan Panicker

Paper cut light boxes

Better known as Hari and Deepti, this artist couple create these spectacular images using only watercolour paper. They cut the paper into different shapes and layer it, creating the range of tones and depth seen here when a light is shone through it.

The thing that interests me the most about these images are the mystical, mythical qualities they have. The use of light and tone creates an image with a very ethereal appearance, as do the shapes and figures themselves. The stick figures and bold shapes appear almost like tribal art, very much like the stone paintings of the Navajo tribe of native americans. I would like to experiment with different media like Hari and Deepti do, and also focus on making my artwork look 'tribal'. By doing so, I feel that the message behind my work will be translated to the simplest form, and be both easy to understand and easy to interpret in it's own way.

I think that this light box paper-cut method could look even better with the use of multiple lights shining through the paper at different angles, and even different coloured lights. The tone of the image could then be established through the use of colour. For example, the scene in the image on the right appears quite perilous, but the soft brown colour does not suggest so. Perhaps a red or orange light added into this would better show it's meaning?

Alex Janvier

Contemporary native american pattern

Alex Janvier is a contemporary native american artist who takes a more abstract approach to his work, choosing to form his images out of vibrantly coloured flowing patters, where the subject is no immediately noticeable. Janvier, like most other native american artists, wants to share the messages of his people with the world through his art, and his unique abstract style certainly leaves these messages open for interpretation, perhaps so that the work can be seen by a modern audience, and it's message be adapted to a modern context?

The way that the patterns and lines of Janvier's work flow seamlessly in and out of each other creates a natural, flowing image that could be representative of the native american synergy with nature. Although i really like Janvier's idea of leaving his work open for interpretation, I feel that it needs to be a bit clearer as to what the subject is, as the message behind it could be corrupted and distorted from what it is meant to be if it is viewed incorrectly.

I want to use this method of making native american art appear more contemporary, so that it's meaning and messages can be given a new life in a contemporary environment. 

Oscar Howe

Native American Folklore Artwork

Oscar Howe is a native american artists of the Sioux tribe, and aims to show the unique beliefs and folklore of his tribe to the world through his art.

Howe's work has a very mystical feel to it, not only due to the subject matter, but also because of the flowing line that seems to weave in and out of the figures in an array of colours. I am very interested in the different ways native american folklore can be shown, both visually and verbally. Howe's work almost tells the tale without the need for words, transcending the cultural differences of native american tribes and the rest of the world to carry across a message or meaning. For example, it is obvious that the two figures in the left image are in pursuit of the animal, and that this pursuit is very fast-paced and intense, due to the bright colours he uses. 

I want to use a similar method of showing the meanings and messages behind native american folklore without the need for words, as i am wanting to show how the morals of the folklore tales are just as applicable to our life as they are to the native american's, and language is not an issue.

"One criterion for my work is to present the cultural lives and activities of the Sioux indians; dance, ceremonies, legends, lore, arts... It is my greatest hope that my paintings may serve to bring the best of Indian culture into the modern way of life." -Oscar Howe

Tony Abeyta

Contemporary Native American Art

Tony Abeyta is one of the most prominent contemporary native american artists, who is keen to have the culture of his people and their artwork recognized as the diverse thing that it is, and not the stereotype it has been assigned. Abeyta is a member of the Navajo, just one of the hundreds of diverse native american tribes. His artwork reflect Navajo beliefs and society.

I like the stylized imagery he uses in these particular paintings, especially with the masks and figures. He adds his own unique contemporary style to his work in order to make it more relatable to a modern day audience. This work would be at home in any traditional art gallery, but would still carry the unique messages and beliefs of the native americans with it.

It is this modernization of the traditional native american style that i want to achieve, and i think Abeyta does it particularly well. The geometric forms of the masks in his work are something i like, since the angular shapes look very modernized.

"Abeyta explores a variety of media including oils, charcoal and sand. Because he experiments with techniques and images so much, his creativity transcends any label that may be used to describe his work. Many of Abeyta's highly original works are depictions of complex Navajo beliefs; they evoke the notion that there is power in everyone and everything."

Source

Philippe Baudelocque

Animal street murals

These street murals of various animals are drawn in chalks and oil pastels. The use of these impermanent materials and the surfaces he uses them on create a similar feel to some native american art, specifically paintings done on cliff sides or in caves.
The combination of smooth, modern shapes and the age-old materials and subjects create an image that is very much a fusion of old and new, creating a bridge between the modern and the ancient. It is this connection that I am wanting to show in my work.
Baudelocque creates this primarily through his use of material and process, therefore I will experiment with various materials that could emulate native american art, which i could then apply to my own work.

Andrea Minini

Animals in moire

This set of animal prints by Italian-based illustrator Andrea Minini are created using Adobe Illustrator. She uses a range of lines of varying thicknesses and contours to create the different tones present in these symmetrical images.

I like the symmetrical nature of these animals, as they create an image that looks almost like a symbol or emblem. The idea of particular animals being represented by their own respective symbols is a very prominent one in native american culture. The simple, distinct shapes and areas of tone do reflect some native american art, and I want to adapt this style to use in creating my own emblems for the Abenaki deities I am depicting.
I feel that Minini's style in these images is a little too complex for what I am wanting to achieve. I want my emblems to be very simple and easily identifiable. In my emblems, I will use considerably less lines, probably just thick, outer lines. The style here in Minini's work is too busy and distracting from the pictorial, simple storytelling I am aiming to achieve.
This idea of depicting an animal using it's key features, such as the owl's big eyes and 'ears', is one I will take into account for my own work. I will break down the descriptions of each deity given in traditional Abenaki folklore, and then depict them visually using distinct, easily identified sections.

Source