Read Between the Lines

(Written January 5, 2012)

We've just finished the process of hanging the new show for George Flett.  Having new work come in is always one of the most exciting parts of working in the gallery.  First, there is simply the rush of energy as a new creative urge takes over the walls.  Then, there are the A-Ha! moments as brilliant new pieces appear out of the boxes and portfolios.  And finally, there is the pure happiness that comes from seeing an old friend's work up on the walls again and remembering why you loved his work so much in the first place.

George is one of those rare artists who paint from the heart.  He has been working as an artist since the mid-60's (!) when he began studies at the Institute for American Indian Art (IAIA) in Santa Fe with T.C. Cannon, Kevin Red Star, and Fritz Scholder.  His mother, Nancy, taught him about his Spokane Indian heritage including beadwork, basketry and the Spokane language.  Flett grew up around horses and comes from a people who love and value them.  His art explains what it is to be Spokane.  He ties his images to family (community and tribe), the physical world and its unseen spiritual side, and oral tradition.  Each one of his pieces is a densely layered work that can be appreciated not only for the artistic technique on the surface, but also for what it tells us about Spokane traditions, tribal acitivites, the co-exisiting spiritual world, and the past as evidenced by the documents that the drawing is made on.

In the image above, "Sun Boy Showing Off His Horsemanship," we see a depiction of a Spokane warrior in full regalia, including a war bonnet made of eagle feathers.  This is a true Plateau feather bonnet or "skissken" with the circle of eagle feathers more tightly cinched than Plains bonnets.  The feathers represent the rays of the sun and have great power, especially for warriors.  The horse is blue and red with a series of white spots.  These fantastic colors meant that the horse itself in real life had exceptional markings, as befits a great warrior.  This horse is ready for action with his beaded face mask marked with eagle feathers and a buffalo and with his tail tied up.  Sun Boy is lying along the side of the horse held on by the grip of a single leg slung over the back of his mount.  The figures are elongated and horizontal, emphasizing speed and strength, along the line of the war lance which exactly pierces the midline of the painting.  All of the elements of this painting combine to show that this is truly a great warrior and chief.