Two superb but entirely different works of Native American art have recently come into the possession of the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
Meryl McMaster (Blackfoot/Plains Cree), What Will I Say to the Sky and the Earth II, 2019, digital C print, Heard Museum Permanent Collection.
One of the pieces—now a part of the museum’s permanent collection— is a striking photograph by Canadian and Blackfoot/Plains Cree photographer Meryl McMaster, which shows a woman in an elaborate costume on stark white snow, a vivid blue sky behind her. McMaster’s work often incorporates props, sculptural garments and performance, blending these elements together to create an out-of-the-ordinary experience for viewers.
A Canadian First Nations artist of Cree descent, Kent Monkman’s Danaë Receiving the Golden Rain depicts a forest scene of immensely lush greens and a warm glow that permeates throughout the piece. In the bottom right foreground, a nude man in heels braces himself as a cascade of golden flecks—be it leaves, coins or rain—falls down upon him. The acrylic painting, 2015, was gifted to the Heard Museum by Francis and Dionne Najafi in honor of John and Ellen Stiteler. —
Kent Monkman (Cree), Danaë Receiving the Golden Rain, 2015, acrylic on canvas. Heard Museum Permanent Collection. Gift of Francis and Dionne Najafi in honor of John and Ellen Stiteler.
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