The Native History of American Art - Essay Example

Art History Art history is recognized as the study of artworks in their stylistic framework and historical advancement (Phillips and Berlo 3). This asserts that the academic study of historical art includes architecture, ceramics, sculpture, furniture and paintings. Historical art is considered a discipline which is distinguished from criticism of art. Art criticism mainly deals with the establishment of a comparative artistic value on personal artworks with respect to the philosophy of art (Phillips and Berlo 3). Historians in the field of art base their research on the examination of artistic objects. This paper will discuss the native history of American art. Native American art comprises of oil, pottery, basketry, wood, leather and water or sand paintings (Phillips and Berlo 10). The creativity that is involved in American art is regarded as sacred and limitless. According to the Americans, the use of art is continually identified as a form of expression. Their artistic works present their love for the environment. In their native way of life, the Americans considered art as a symbol. They usually made their artwork through the use of materials such as fabric, clay, feathers and rocks among others. In the Native American lifestyle, basket weaving was regarded as the most popular form of artistic work (Phillips and Berlo 13). In this case, basket weaving served a twofold purpose. Most of the American artists used corn husks and reeds to make complex woven baskets. Thereafter, the material was dyed to create tribal art on the basket. The final product was a beautiful, artistic piece of work that was also used as a normal basket. The weaving practice was quite prevalent in the Native American era, since; women would spend hours weaving to create colorful baskets. In most cases, the baskets were made from vegetable fibers (Phillips and Berlo 13). Moreover, there were other materials that were used in weaving of the baskets. The most common materials that were used apart from vegetable fibers include cedar bark, native grass and ivory carvings. The material used in making the basket defined the type of basket being made. Recently, weaving leads to ecological activism. Individuals from the Navajo tribe were well conversant with the weaving practice. They even made blankets from woven reeds. Most literary scholars assert that, the Native Americans were the first individuals to design beautiful implements. Furthermore, every artistic object they made entailed a detailed rationale. They developed different forms of artistic works using diverse geometric shapes and designs. Therefore, their native art was entirely transformed to a form of communication. The growth in the Native art of America was evident, since; it mainly relied on the material available and the environment (Phillips and Berlo 15). In the Native American art, beadwork was also appreciated. The beads were imported from other continents such as Asia and Europe. In most cases, the American artists used glass beads (Phillips and Berlo 17). The bead workers also had a substantial influence on the neighboring communities in the area. The beads were used for decoration purposes and also in making jewelry. Apart from beadwork, the Native Americans also made sculptures using stones. They carved statues both for monumental purposes among other minor uses. In the Southeast region, some of the artists also used wood as a raw material in carving. The wood carvings and the stone sculptures were crafted to represent the environment. For example, the totem poles were monuments that were made by wood carvers. Artists in the Southeast region considered wood carvings as the best sculptures. In Native America, artists developed art as a symbol of honor to the animals (Phillips and Berlo 19). For example, whale teeth were used in making walruses. The artists also created statues and pendants to denote respect to the animals. Also, weapons and other instruments were identified as artworks. Lastly, totem poles were considered as the most intricate artistic work. The totem poles were usually tall wooden sculptures which signified generations of relatives in a family (Phillips and Berlo 19). These poles were extremely crucial in the development of art in Native America. Further analysis in Native American art shows that hunting tribes such as the Sioux and the Apache communities were also involved in art (Phillips and Berlo 21). These communities developed stunning designs for utensils and jars that were used in serious ceremonies. In addition, the two communities were nomadic communities, hence; they occasionally migrated from one location to another in search of wild plants. Through the process of migration, they developed explicit ideas in their artistic activities. This native art made the Southwestern Indians appreciate the artistic nature of the hunters. The concept of communication was significantly featured in the artworks. A clear example is the Pueblo ceramics that were considerably appreciated by the Indians (Phillips and Berlo 24). The growth in the artistic concepts enhanced tourism in America. The tourists majorly toured America in order to buy the artworks they had created. The tribes that were closely associated with the art business especially in the Southwest region remained in the same region. This enhanced their knowledge in art, since; they had an excellent foundation of art from previous generations. The Lakota Sioux Americans developed exemplary designs in basketry, wood carvings and pottery (Phillips and Berlo 15). Earlier on, they were identified as traditional farmers. However, they deserted traditional farming and opted to venture in making Native American art. In most instances, they used the bones and horns from buffaloes to create remarkable artworks. As stated earlier, Native American art was principally governed by the environment. Archeological evidence proves that when the Southwestern communities realized the art, they produced blankets, painted kiva walls, basketry and pottery among other artworks (Phillips and Berlo 12). Another major influence in the world of art especially in the Native American era was Christianity. During this period, the history of the church tremendously affected the art history. Art has also been influenced tremendously through secularism especially during the Classical period. In addition, the Native American art was also affected by politics. The Native Americans who were living in the Southwest were open-minded in terms of artistic ideas (Phillips and Berlo 12). They intermingled with cultural elements from various communities and diverse pueblo areas. This knowledge enabled them to learn the art of pottery. The Native Americans from the Southwestern region were significantly encouraged in assimilation of the ideas from other forms of art. The Southwestern Indian tribes did not mimic the unique style of art from other communities (Phillips and Berlo 20). However, they synthesized all the influences so as to uphold uniqueness in the artworks. The Navajo community was also recognized in the art of sand painting. During healing ceremonies, sand paintings were aligned in the entry path of the ceremonial area. The main aim of the healing ceremonies was to restore a patient to harmony. When the healing ritual was over, the native sand art was normally destroyed because it was considered worthless. Later on, the Navajo community learnt the technique of creating sand paintings using glue. Nowadays, the practice of making sand paintings is evident in the economic market (Phillips and Berlo 9). Lastly, the Native Americans had a painting technique that was highly appreciated (Phillips and Berlo 19). In Native American painting, the initial watercolor was endorsed by artists from Mexico’s, Rio Grande. They were trained in the Santa Fe Indian School that was supervised by Dorothy Dunn. In 1932, Dunn founded this program to enhance dissemination of the Native American painting technique. The first paintings by the Native Americans who lived in the Southwest region belonged to different communities. For instance, most of the paintings originated from the Tewa-speaking Pueblos. Most of the Tewa-speakers originate from the area around Santa Fe. Some of the most prominent artists from this Pueblos include Awah Tsireh, Alfredo Montoya and Crescencio Martinez. Most of the paintings that belonged to these artists date back in the 19th century. In the art of painting, the artists applied geometric designs and complex groupings in order to come up with their artwork. These artworks represented the communal activities which were performed in the area (Phillips and Berlo 29). For example, the art represented dancing aspects, rituals and the inner societal stability of the tribe. Most of the paintings and artworks also related to religious themes. In the 20th century, most of the Native Americans who were artists started working on Eastern subjects. They included the domestic life of the Indians and other aspects of agriculture in their paintings. In conclusion, a modern study in the discipline of art proves that Western art is systematically arranged into a number of stylistic periods. These periods comprise of Classical, Byzantine, Modern, Postmodern, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque. In America, the study of visual arts by the Native Americans mainly encompasses art in the ancient period. The Historians claim that certain native artists used non-Indian materials in their art when they were available (Phillips and Berlo 32). Therefore, the Native American art is a highly academic discipline according to most historians. Work Cited Phillips, Ruth and Berlo, Janet. Native North American Art. New York: University of Oxford Press, 1998. Print. Read More