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Four Directions
Four Directions
Four Directions
Photograph and Ditital Image © Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. Not for reproduction or publication.
On View
Not on view
Object number2003.2

Four Directions

Maker (American, 1940-)
Date1994
Mediumlithograph, chine colle and linocut
Dimensionsimage flush: 49 3/8 × 30 1/8 in. (125.4 × 76.5 cm)
Credit LinePermanent Collection Fund
Exhibition History"Unmasking Masculinity for the 21st Century: The Remix," KIA Galleries 2&5 (January 7 - March 12, 2023)Label TextNative American artist Jaune Quick-To-See-Smith uses her art as a bridge between native and non-native cultures. Through her paintings, prints, public art commissions, Quick-To-See-Smith continues to put forth her fundamental premise that art is an act of exchange between herself, the image and the viewer. Inspired by personal experiences, Native American and other indigenous cultural imagery, as well as 20th century pop culture, she creates multiple levels of meaning by juxtaposing language with images. Sometimes playful, but often serious in tone, her works create a new level of consciousness in the viewer. In Four Directions, each image exemplifies aspects of Native American culture as well as outsiders' perceptions of that culture. The coyote symbolizes the "Trickster", the Creator's helper who brought the Native people into the world. The other animals represent the importance nature plays in Native American cultures. The sketchy, childish drawings of faces could be a tongue-in-cheek reference to outsiders' views of Native Americans as a "primitive" society. The very realistic Native American portrait at center presents the stereotypical portrayal of a Native American. The artist further connects these images to modern non-native society with common pop culture phrases like "Batteries Not Included".

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