Innovative Native American artwork takes center stage in Blue Rain Gallery’s February exhibition Crossroads featuring work by Chris Pappan, Starr Hardridge, Frank Buffalo Hyde and Ryan Singer. As the gallery explains, “Crossroads, a nod to the distinct regions that each artists hails from, the individual style they each work in, and the intersection at which they all come together; Crossroads is what is fresh in Native art. Each artist expresses their Native American heritage with stunning visuals.”
Chris Pappan (Osage/Kaw/Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux), Flashpoint, graphite, colored pencil and collage on Odd Fellows ledger dated 1905, 18 x 12"
Pappan (Osage/Kaw/Cheyenne River Lakota Sioux) is a contemporary ledger artist who pushes the medium through his artistic style and by crafting important stories of Native American life. Included in the show will be his work Flashpoint, which was done with graphite, colored pencil and collage on “a very interesting ledger that I acquired which was originally used for the Order of Odd Fellows,” says Pappan. “The imagery consists of motifs found in my work that represent our ancestors (the figure) and current Native American issues represented by the burning trailer. Contemporary and vintage map pieces collaged onto the work represent our ongoing (re)connection to the land.”
Ryan Singer (Navajo), Rainbow Flavor, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20"
Native American culture, pop culture and science fiction intersect in Singer’s paintings. The Navajo artist is particularly known for his “Star Wars-themed paintings that weave Native culture and childhood memories into the familiar narrative and character cast,” says the gallery. Among those works is Rainbow Flavor that taps into moments from his childhood.
“Growing up on the high deserts of Northern Arizona, I spent my summers herding sheep at my grandmother’s sheep camp…I marveled at the landscape—the wide-open land and the crisp blue skies with the occasional chemtrail,” says Singer. “As a kid, when
Frank Buffalo Hyde (Onondaga), Hunter Gatherer, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 48"
I ventured out to herd sheep, I would carry my Star Wars toys in my pockets and play with them whenever I could. My imagination would take me away to where the worlds of Star Wars and Navajoland would collide. This painting is a depiction of my memories growing up on the Navajo reservation, finding food stands and the original ‘rainbow-flavored’ snow cone. I find myself nostalgic for those simpler times now that I live in the city.”
Hyde, who was raised on the Onandaga reservation, also focuses on popular culture and commenting on society as it happens today. For instance, many of his paintings show an unseen viewer filming or photographing through their smartphone. His painting Hunter Gatherer depicts the mascot of the Big Boy restaurant holding his burger up to the sky.
Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek Nation), High Desert Blues, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 24"
Hardridge’s unique style of painting combines his interest in pointillism and Southeastern Woodland beadwork. The colorful compositions are finely painted dot by dot to create a strikingly detailed image that incorporates geometric designs and realistic elements. High Desert Blues is one such example where the animals and skyline come to life, but the land itself—and even elements inside the deer—are made up of intricate shapes.
Crossroads will be on view February 25 through March 12, with an artist reception on opening night from 5 to 7 p.m. —
Blue Rain Gallery
February 25-March 12, 2022
544 S. Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 954-9902, www.blueraingallery.com
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