Allan Houser


Book Description

He mastered a number of styles ranging from straightforward representation to pure abstraction, and throughout his career he remained alert to developments in the work of his contemporaries. Until his death in 1994 he continued to evolve, to rethink his approach, and to remaster his art. Today, his work, particularly his sculpture, can be seen in a number of collections both in the United States and abroad.".




Native Modernism


Book Description

Native Modernism: The Art of George Morrison and Allan Houser showcases magnificent paintings, drawings, and sculptures by two highly acclaimed artists. In this groundbreaking, beautifully illustrated book, distinguished Native American writers and scholars add a rich new dimension to previously published accounts of Native American art with a fascinating exploration of Morrison's and Houser's work in the context of contemporary art, Native American art history, and cultural identity. George Morrison (Grand Portage Band of Chippewa, 1919–2000) and Allan Houser (Warm Springs Chiricahua Apache, 1914–1994) shattered expectations for Native art, and paved the way for successive generations to experiment with a wide array of styles and techniques. Born in a small Chippewa community in Minnesota, Morrison traveled and studied in New York City and Europe during an extraordinarily creative period in twentieth-century art. He emerged triumphantly as both a major American artist and an Indian artist. Often described as an abstract expressionist, Morrison developed, in such celebrated series as his Horizon paintings, a non-figurative visual language. Sculptor and painter Allan Houser also forged a unique path that redefined the way art by Native Americans is viewed and understood. The work of this prominent twentieth-century artist has appeared in important exhibitions in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, and his monumental bronze Offering of the Sacred Pipe, installed at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, has become a worldwide symbol of peace.




The Desert People


Book Description




The James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection


Book Description

One of the most important collections of modern Native American art assembled by one individual, the James T. Bialac Native American Art Collection is an encyclopedic compilation of easel paintings and three-dimensional works. Showcased in this stunning catalogue, the collection comprises nearly four thousand items, including drawings, sculptures, prints, kachinas, jewelry, ceramics, rattles, baskets, and textiles. James T. Bialac began collecting art in the 1950s, when he was a student at the University of Arizona School of Law. It was then that he purchased the first of what would develop into a collection of more than one thousand kachina dolls. In 1964 he acquired his first painting, Robert Chee's Moccasin Game, and he went on to expand his collection to reflect the diversity of Native American art forms. Inspired by his connections with other collectors, Bialac learned the importance of documenting, cataloging, and preserving his collection. In 2010 he bequeathed the collection to the University of Oklahoma, where the art will be displayed at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, as well as at other locations, including Bialac's native Arizona. The Bialac Collection represents indigenous cultures across North America, especially the Pueblos of the Southwest, Navajos, Hopis, and many of the tribes of the Great Plains. It encompasses such important and innovative artists as Fred Kabotie, Alfonso Roybal, Fritz Scholder, Joe Hilario Herrera, Allan Houser, Jerome Tiger, Tonita Peña, Helen Hardin, Pablita Velarde, George Morrison, Walter Richard "Dick" West, and Patrick DesJarlait, all of whose work is featured in this volume. Along with its rich sampling of works from the Bialac Collection, this catalogue offers informative essays by art historians, who draw on their areas of expertise to explain the significance of the artwork. The volume also features a foreword by David L. Boren, President of the University of Oklahoma, a preface by Ghislain d'Humières, Director of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, and an introduction by Mary Jo Watson, Director of the School of Art and Art History. Published in cooperation with the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, University of Oklahoma




Turning the Feather Around


Book Description

His luminous, small, horizon paintings reflect his return to the "big water." Turning the Feather Around, the title taken from a name given to George in a healing ceremony, is a work of intimate personal disclosure that captures the pulse of the speaking voice and the vision of the artist's eye."--BOOK JACKET.




Knowing Native Arts


Book Description

Knowing Native Arts brings Nancy Marie Mithlo's Native insider perspective to understanding the significance of Indigenous arts in national and global milieus. These musings, written from the perspective of a senior academic and curator traversing a dynamic and at turns fraught era of Native self-determination, are a critical appraisal of a system that is often broken for Native peoples seeking equity in the arts. Mithlo addresses crucial issues, such as the professionalization of Native arts scholarship, disparities in philanthropy and training, ethnic fraud, and the receptive scope of Native arts in new global and digital realms. This contribution to the field of fine arts broadens the scope of discussions and offers insights that are often excluded from contemporary appraisals.




A More Abundant Life


Book Description

"Artists began coming to New Mexico in the late-19th century, attracted by the dazzling New Mexican landscape, the hospitality of town and village life, and the Indian and Hispanic cultures that had shaped the artistic imagination of New Mexico for centuries. In state-sponsored interviews, artists explain what the New Deal art programs meant to them during the Great Depression."--Alibris.




20th Century American Sculpture in the White House Garden


Book Description

Is an excellent overview of 20th-century American sculpture & an intimate look at the garden that adjoins the most famous house in America.




Modern Spirit


Book Description

The work of Chippewa artist George Morrison (1919–2000) has enjoyed widespread critical acclaim. His paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures have been displayed in numerous public and private exhibitions, and he is one of Minnesota’s most cherished artists. Yet because Morrison’s artwork typically does not include overt references to his Indian heritage, it has stirred debate about what it means to be a Native American artist. This stunning catalogue, featuring 130 color and black-and-white images, showcases Morrison’s work across a spectrum of genres and media, while also exploring the artist’s identity as a modernist within the broader context of twentieth-century American and Native American art. Born and raised near the Grand Portage Indian Reservation in Minnesota, Morrison graduated from the Minnesota School of Art and the Art Students League in New York City. He spent his early career mainly on the East Coast, becoming one of the first Native American artists to exhibit his work extensively in New York. Best known for his landscape paintings and wood collages, he employed a variety of media—paint, wood, ink and metal, paper, and canvas—and developed a unique style that combined elements of cubism, surrealism, and abstract expressionism. In her foreword to Modern Spirit, Cherokee artist Kay WalkingStick describes her personal association with Morrison and admiration for his authentic artistic vision. Kristin Makholm, in her introduction to the volume, explores Morrison’s ties to Minnesota and his legacy within the history of Minnesota art and culture. Then, drawing on extensive primary research and Morrison’s own writings, W. Jackson Rushing III offers an in-depth analysis of Morrison’s artistic evolution against the backdrop of evolving definitions of “Indianness.” By expanding our understanding of Morrison’s singular vision, Modern Spirit invites readers to appreciate more deeply the beauty and complexity of his art.




Ethics in Counseling and Therapy


Book Description

Ethics in Counseling and Therapy develops students' ethical competence through an understanding of theory. Houser and Thoma helps the counselor form his or her own ethical identity and reflect on his or her own values and issues by presenting a theoretical framework that draws on theories from disciplines such as philosophy, sociology, and moral psychology.




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