Artist Presentation (Z)

Modern and Post-Modern Contemporary Artist Presentation/Research 

Alex Janvier: modernist

Alex Janvier is an Modernist artists from Cold Lake, Alberta in the treaty 6 territory. Alex was an influential artists in the Contemporary Indigenous Art in Canada and he worked with experimental artwork and style in contemporary artforms. Accepted into New York art school but was prohibited by the Canadian government, he was restricted due to legal pass system implemented on Indigenous people. Attending the College of Art and Design in Calgary, after graduating Alex began teaching as an instructor at the University of Alberta. He was highly trained in the arts both modern and traditional like hide tanning, beadwork and quillwork. His style is described as native modernist, using abstract forms, fluid lines, color and large scale works that connect back to culture, spirituality and connection to land. Within his artwork he uses his own form of visual language creating a personal and Indigenous perspectives. He was also a founding member of the Professional Native Artist (group of 7) indigenous artists referred to as Indian Group of Seven. Alex was influenced by his families traditional artwork and credits the beadwork and birch bark baskets artforms.  Alex Janvier is one of my favorite artists and his artwork has strong spiritual connections along with his advocation for Indigenous right and freedoms

Post modernist: Fritz Scholder 

Fritz Scholder is an Indigenous artist from America who taught at the Institution of American Indian Art in Santa Fe in 1962. He was an influential artist because of his style and controversial works which were considered experimental during this time of the 1960-1970s. Fritz initial style consisted of landscape paintings in his early years as an artist and vowed to never paint the “Indian” as a subject. He changed this mind as his later artwork reflected the traditional Indigenous people using archival images as references. This was due to the lack of representation of Indigenous identity and appropriation of once appropriated imagery using bright colors and pop style to represent these modern perspectives. The Indian series was a collection created over 13 years using the pop art style in using color to activate the archival images of pre-colonized Indigenous people. With reference to Andy Warhol pop and colorist techniques of the abstract expressionist style. Using composition to evoke emotion using the post modern and contemporary paintings created a movement within the Indigenous artwork scene moving away from the flat studio style artwork that was popularized. He was an influential due to his experimental artistic style and controversial themes as his teachings influenced many famous Indigenous artist such as T.C Cannon, Austin Rave, Bill Warsoldier  and Alfred Man. His use of contemporary art style using traditional Indigenous subjects with was significant style of many of his students as well, it was rumored that his artwork was stolen/copied from his students style and ideas. His use of paradoxical themes was also noted as his artwork broke the stereotyping of Indigenous people past the “authentic” debate and influenced a generation of Indigenous artists. His artwork was a form of resilience and redefining the concept of “Indian” artist and Indigenous perspectives.