Modern ledger, by Black Pinto Horse (Monte Yellow Bird), Arikara/Hidatsa; 2010<BR> Paper, pencil, ink, crayon; 21,5 x 17,5 cm.<BR> RMV 6141-2; purchased by Pieter Hovens at Lodge Pole Gallery, Browning, MT, 2010<BR> <BR> In this drawing on 19th century ledger paper by award-winning Hidatsa/Arikara artist Black Pinto Horse buffaloes and tipis are depicted against a mountainous backdrop. The juxtapositions of the two elements at the top and bottom of the visual field give this piece an iconic value because both buffaloes and tipis are universally recognized as the quintessential symbols of old-times Plains Indian lifestyles. Together, animals, natural features, and lodges both transcend and cite lived experiences and memories, and in so doing, they ascend to archetypal indexes of a bygone era. The three-layered composition in which tipis, mountains, and buffalos are judiciously positioned in parallel horizontal bands recall the artist’s own environment marked by extensive horizons at the edge between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains. Whilst not specifically depicting any recognizable spot of his familiar landscape, the artist uses composition with evocative purpose that at once refers to ideal geographical features and historical locations that meaningfully resonate with Plains Indians’ past. Although he operates from the point of view of a contemporary artist, Black Pinto Horse’s deliberate choice implicitly denotes links to the historical roots of this art form that has been recently revived by a number of Native American male and female artists such as Donald Montileaux, Sheridan MacKnight, Dolores Purdy Corcoran, Linda Haukaas, and several others (Carocci 2012; Fauntleroy 2011).<BR> <BR> Ledger art was born in the 19th century among Native American artists as a way of fixing in visual form memorable events of their past on the Great Plains on any piece of paper then available to them. It emerged at a time of transition, when reservation life put an end to buffalo hunting and nomadism. In adjusting to these new predicaments Plains Indian artists developed a clear sense of their place in history and society that coincided with the beginning of ledger art as a new art form often encouraged by American patrons. It was among the many cultural expressions that marked the emergence of the figure of the artist among American Indians across North American (Warner 1986). Black Pinto Horse follows in the footsteps of this tradition. Significantly, in his occupations as artist and educator among young Native Americans, he shares the conscious stance so evident in his work with eminent old masters such as Amos Bad Heart Bull, Wohaw, Buffalo Fat, and Black Hawk among many who used their creativity to reflect about their past, present, and express concerns for an uncertain future. The educational aspect Black Pinto Horse’s artwork adds to the relevance of this and other ledger pieces because, in addition to obvious historical implications, it has social purpose as well as artistic standing in its own right. <BR> Trained in fine arts since the mid 70s, Black Pinto Horse developed his own style over a variety of mediums such as watercolor, acrylic paint, and oil. In his ledger art series he fully exploits historic Plains Indians’ preference for the graphic sign using dark outlines and strong contours. Indeed, also the seemingly deceptive simplicity of Black Pinto Horse’s style intentionally cites 19th century Plains Indian art, especially in the way in which he uses visual conventions. The schematic rendition of animals and lodges follows the principles of a standardized iconographic lexicon developed by Plains Indian artists at the turn of last century (Petersen 1971; Szabo 2007). Past examples of this art reveal a tendency to visual repetition also found in this piece, although the shapes and forms Black Pinto Horse chooses as his signature are distinctly personal. The rhythmic alternation of tipis in the upper register differs from historic ledgers in which lodges are generally placed on the same line. Their position in the upper section of the sheet renders the scene decoratively abstract in a way that could not be imagined by late 19th century artists. Again, details in the rendition of buffaloes’ front legs, isolated from the animal’s heavy running body, betray a totally modern confidence with three-dimensional painting and sketching unknown to his predecessors. Similarly modern is the rendition of snow-capped mountains carefully modeled and layered through the technique of chiaroscuro produced by the skilled hand of an experienced draughtsman.<BR> Mac Carocci<BR> The British Museum, London; 2015.<BR> <BR> Max Carocci, Warriors of the Plains: the Arts of Plains Indian Warfare; British Museum Press and McGill-Queen’s University Press; London and Montreal, 2012. Gussie Fauntleroy, Ledger Art: Looking Between the Lines; in: Native Peoples Magazine, October: 30-35; 2011. Karen Daniels Petersen, Plains Indian Art from Fort Marion; University of Oklahoma Press; Norman, 1971. Joyce M. Szabo, Art from Fort Marion: The Silberman Collection; University of Oklahoma Press; Norman, 2007. John Anson Warner, The Individual in Native American Art: a Sociological View; in: Edwin Wade, ed., The Arts of the American Indian: Native Traditions in Evolution:171-202; Hudson Hills Press and Philbrook Art Center; New York and Tulsa, 1986.<BR> <BR> <BR> De kunstenaar heeft de eind 19e- eeuwse ledger- art van Indiaanse krijgsgevangenen een hedendaagse interpretatie gegeven door te schilderen op 19e- eeuws kasboekpapier, waarbij hij traditionele tribale iconografie mengt met hedendaagse beelden. Black Pinto Horse (signatuur: idem; Monte Yellow Bird Sr.). De kunstenaar werd in North Dakota geboren en studeerde aan het Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM, North Dakota State University, Fargo ND, en Minot State University, ND. Hij verkreeg academische kwalificaties in geschiedenis en kunst. Behalve als kunstenaar en docent werkt hij als coach voor Indiaanse risicojongeren. Hij woont en werkt in Great Falls, Montana. Hovens 2010.<BR> <BR>