Ledger art is a term for Plains Indian narrative drawing or painting on paper or cloth. Ledger art flourished primarily from the 1860s to the 1920s. Beginning in the early 1860s, Plains Indian men changed their realistic style of painting to paper in the method of accountants’ ledger books. A perfect example of this documentation and paintings is by a Native American artist Amos Bad Heart Bull. Amo’s uses his method to describe and document historical events and inspire others the wonderful and interesting historical event that perceive these pictograms. Amos Bad Heart Bull, was a noted Oglala Lakota artist in what was called Ledger Art. It was a style that adapted traditional Native American pictography to the new European medium of paper, …show more content…
The people had a tradition of drawing pictographs to show history, generally drawn and painted on animal skins. This was known as the winter count. Amos' father was the tribal historian and used such a technique. In 1890, Amos Bad Heart Bull enlisted in the U.S. Army as an Indian scout and learned to speak English. He served at Fort Robinson with his uncle Grant Short Bull. During this time, he purchased a ledger book from a clothing dealer in nearby Crawford, Nebraska. He used its papers for drawing a series of pictures. In the process, he adapted traditional Native American pictography techniques to the new European medium of paper. This was part of a development called Ledger Art, named for the accountants' ledger books used by Native Americans for their drawings and paintings. It was particularly associated with the art produced in the late nineteenth century by Native American men held at Fort Marion in Florida. They were held for more than a decade as prisoners of war, or political prisoners, following the Plains Wars. In addition to classes in English and other topics of United States society, the fort's officials provided the men with drawing materials and ledger books for their work. The collection of ledger books is held by the Smithsonian
When visiting the McKissick Museum I was engrossed by the American Folk Art, ceramic Face Jugs, also known as ugly or grotesque jugs. There are gaps in the history in regards to how the face jugs were made, what they were used for, and the meaning of the face vessel pottery. However it is believed that these vessels were original, useful, creative expressions of the African slave culture of the time created as early as the seventeenth century. Few artists of face jugs have been identified and their inspirations for producing the vessels are not completely known. According to Hirst, it is believed that this art form originated in Edgefield County South Carolina, from African slaves who worked on the plantations as potters. They worked on these jugs after work and it’s believed that they were a product of the heritage and tradition from Africa and held a spiritual connection for the potters. Hirst also stated that, Dave Drake, a slave and employee of a pottery factory is the only known producer to ever be allowed to sign and put the date of manufacture on some of his face jug work.
These art works are concerning what occurred in October 1867 when Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa and the United States government signed a peace treaty (Sayre, Pg. 40). The syllable of the syllable. The treaty was signed at Medicine Lodge Creek on Arkansas River in Kansas (Sayre, Pg. 40). The syllable of the syllable. John Taylor’s art was created off of sketches that were completed shortly after the events (Sayre, Pg. 40).
Bull Meechem was born in Chicago he married Lillian and then moved down south. When living their Bull was influenced by some aspects of southerners, “You hear me? Keep out of that nigger shit.” Bull Meechem is not really a racist but he has just taken on southern life and believes it’s accepted.
Sitting Bull had a vision that the Sioux would win the battle at Little Big Horn,
Bull is the epitome of an emotional straightjacket, the Boy Code, and "the mask." He is unable to express his true feelings and holds a portrayal of "toughness" to the outside world, even when he suffers silently on the inside, especially after the conflict where his entire family started beating him. He does not want any of his children to be soft and claims that Meechums "chew nails" while other kids chew cotton candy. He expects his children to be the best at sports, academics, and everything else. He is not available to be talked to, uses nothing but harsh language (such as calling his children "hogs" and "sports fans"), is not involved with his entire family, does not have the time to spend with them, and shares no personal stories. To his daughters, he hardly talks to them and merely calls in Lillian to deal with them, giving them a bad sense of their bodies and themselves. Bull is what every father should strive NOT to be like.
The main reason why the Indians carved Totem Poles was to tell others about their ancestors and History in their family.
Many tribes successfully preserved their art. For instance, local Indians of New Mexico still embroider beautiful blankets that have many geometric figures such as triangles and diamonds, similar to tessellations. See Figure 2 below (“Mathematics Used,” n.d.).
The Art Bulletin, Vol. 57, No. 2 (Jun., 1975), pp. 176-185. (College Art Association), accessed November 17, 2010. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3049368.
Press, Eakin. Did You Ever Meet a Texas Hero - Volume 1. Black and White Photographs. 1992.
The article Artists Mythologies and Media Genius, Madness and Art History (1980) by Griselda Pollock is a forty page essay where Pollock (1980), argues and explains her views on the crucial question, "how art history works" (Pollock, 1980, p.57). She emphasizes that there should be changes to the practice of art history and uses Van Gogh as a major example in her study. Her thesis is to prove that the meaning behind artworks should not be restricted only to the artist who creates it, but also to realize what kind of economical, financial, social situation the artist may have been in to influence the subject that is used. (Pollock, 1980, pg. 57) She explains her views through this thesis and further develops this idea by engaging in scholarly debates with art historians and researcher, and objecting to how they claim there is a general state of how art is read. She structures her paragraphs in ways that allows her to present different kinds of evidences from a variety sources while using a formal yet persuasive tone of voice to get her point across to the reader.
1. Hunter, Sam and Jacobs, John. Modern Art, 3rd Edition. The Vendome Press, New York, 1992.
At first glance, John Taylor and Howling Wolf’s visual representations of the treaty signing at Medicine Creek Lodge appear very different from one another. It is more than apparent that the two artists have very different interpretations of the same event. This paper will visually analyze both works of art by comparing and contrasting the compositional balance, medium, and use of color, as well as how the artists narrated their views using different visual elements.
This essay will also compare the work of Thomas Moran, another Hudson River School artist working with the same subject matter, and will attempt to clarify the artist’s similarities and differences in regard to both technique and contributions. The work of Winslow Homer, a contemporary of Church, will be briefly discussed in relation to the impact the Civil War had on subject matter in relationship to nati...
Thomas Cole was born on February 1, 1801 in Bolton, Lancashire, England. Due to financial problems his family endured, Cole, at the ripe old age of just fourteen, had to find work to assist with the family needs. He entered the work force as a textile printer and wood engraver in Philadelphia. In 1819, Cole returned to Ohio where his parents resided. Here, a portrait painter by the name of Stein, would become Cole’s primary teaching vehicle and inspiration for his oil techniques we’ve come to be familiar with. During this time, Cole was extremely impressed by what he saw in the landscapes of the New World and how different they were from the small town of England from whence he hailed. Self taught, art came naturally to Cole.
Kennington, Thomas. Orphans. 1885. Oil on canvas. Tate Gallery, London. Tate. Web. 3 September 2015.