American Indian art, also called Native American art, is grace and culture Intertwined. Many Indian art objects are basically intended to perform a service or to act as a container or to provide a means of worship.
A spectacular example is these tall figures that stand on either side of the Washington entrance of the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ.
These are approximately 15 feet high and are constructed of a set of stacked glass boxes fitted into figure forms. The pieces represent a multifaceted view of life that reflects a complex aesthetic and could be seen as a multi-layered baroque. The boxes contain blown glass objects, found objects, and cultural artifacts reflecting the contemporary culture and the history of Arizona and the larger Southwest.
The statues inspired by the columnar figures of the Toltecs at Tula, Mexico, are the creation of the de la Torre brothers, Einar and James, who specialize in blown glass sculpture and installation art.
I visited the Convention Center in Phoenix, last year as part of the Siemens Annual Convention where I was also awarded a crystal trophy for being one of the top contributors to the Siemens community.
@TusharSuradkar this looks very similar to what they have in Denver art museum. I try and make a post about it when I get time then you will see it almost the same. I just couldn’t believe how innovative the people were back then. Everything I saw about this community was really beautiful. My husband has a native American background and one of the relatives recently sent a box full of amazing jewellery, other things that have been passed from generation to generations and it was such a sentimental wedding gift.
Thanks for mentioning the Denver Art Museum @ahadilugo That place is high on my wish-list of places to travel and I look forward to visiting the museum at the next opportunity.
I feel the Native American art is like no other because it was untouched and uninfluenced by any other form or style, until of course the arrival of the Europeans, hence it looks so distinct and kosher.
Have you been to the Denver Art Museum? How was the experience?
@TusharSuradkar yes, I have been to Denver Art Museum. My husband lives there and we would be happy to meet up with you if you ever visit. Denver Art Museum was really cool, I loved every bit of it. I will be sure to tag you when I post the article.
I agree with you @C_T that the usage is changing and that is the reason for the confusion.
Let me throw some light, for clarification.
You might be aware that people who migrated from modern-day India to the US over the past century are called Indian-Americans. These are the people who have got American citizenship today but were born in India or whose parents were born in India.
Also, you might be aware, and I am repeating for the clarification of everyone else who is reading this, that American-Indians are those native people who lived here before the Europeans arrived in the 14th -15th century. This is because the European explorers sailed westward with the aim to discover India and landed up in the American continent and thinking that they have reached India started calling the natives as Indians.
Soon they realized that it was not India but a new continent, but by the time, the term “Indian” had stuck. This is a known history. Hence the term American-Indians.
There are also Mexican-Indians who are the natives of Mexico and Canadian-Indians who are the natives of Canada and are also called Aboriginal Canadians. But these terms are not much in use.
Similarly, until recently i.e. a decade ago the region around India was called the Indian SubContinent in the political terms but now the usage has stopped and it is called South-Asia, for example, the academic subject at universities across the US is now called South-Asian studies.
So yes, I agree that the terminology and usage are changing. What was previously called American-Indians are now increasingly called Native-Americans. In the future when I write an article on the American-Indians I might as well use the term Native-Americans, but that day is far from now.
I have had the chance to see lots of Native Canadian Art but not any that is specifically Native American. There are various cultures with many unique traditions and I would love to explore all of them. What was your favorite part of the museum? Was there anything you found suprising?
Accessibility Features for the Phoenix Convention center
Ramp Access.