What is the Role of Tradition in 20th Century Native American Art?
When Native American artists adopt European artistic traditions, some Native people and many non-Native people assume that they abandon Native traditions of art making. Yet this is rarely the case. Twentieth and twenty-first century Native American painting, sculpture and even multimedia installations are as informed by Indian ways of knowing and seeing the world as are pots, blankets or totem poles. The concept of “tradition” that links Native American art today with art of yesterday cannot be defined by style, technique or form of expression exclusively identified with the past. These limitations only act to isolate in time and place the creativity of Indian people and do not allow for the exploration of new ideas and new media. Tradition is the ancestral knowledge that the artists draws upon to guide personal and creative development. This concept of tradition links Native American art today to the production of aesthetic objects in the past. Where Can We See 20th Century Native Ame
