Marie Watt: Art Ltd

The first thing that comes to most people's minds when they think of Native American art is traditional forms associated with the various tribes. But for the last half-century, at least, some Native American artists have also delved into the world of contemporary art. It is this latter type that was showcased in the very strong group show "Cross Currents" on view over the winter at the Center for Visual Art, the off-campus gallery run by the Metropolitan State University of Denver. The exhibit, put together by the CVA's Creative Director, Cecily Cullen, is a follow-up to an earlier effort she mounted in 2009 that included some of the same artists.

Among the important artists in "Cross Currents," perhaps none is better known than conceptualist Will Wilson. At the CVA, Wilson is represented by a series of digitally enlarged black-and-white close-ups of people's faces. The results are almost painterly, with blurry edges, which turn out to be a characteristic of the original source of these images--tintypes. Not antique ones, but those that Wilson produces himself. (A set of four beaded panels conveying QR codes done by Wilson has been just acquired by the Denver Art Museum.) Marie Watt is also well known. Her signature work involves conceptual installations that take apart the marketing of American Indian artifacts. Her pieces often refer to stacks of blankets with identifying tags. In this show, Watt displays a carved wood version of the idea, among other pieces. (A 20-foot tall spire of actual blankets, which was commissioned by the DAM, has just been unveiled.)

One emerging artist in "Cross Currents"--who's definitely someone to watch--is Merritt Johnson who is represented in the show by some great-looking post-AbEx paintings, and some incredibly cool costumes she uses in performances that are displayed as sculptures. A piece that has become something of a symbol for the show, Waterfall Face (emergency mantle for diplomatic security and near invisibility), (2012), stopped viewers in their tracks. In this work, a beaded headdress that completely covers the figure's face is set off by a pair of real bird wings serving as epaulets. The other artists in "Cross Currents" are: Cannupahanska, Nicholas Galanin, Frank Buffalo Hyde, Sarah Ortegon, Wendy Red Star and Sarah Sense. With each artist being seen in depth, "Cross Currents" gave viewers some real insight into the state of Native American contemporary art from across the country--and across the tribal nations.

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