Artist Interviews
Stories from the Artists
Native American artists who redefined the concept of abstraction by creating works informed by their own traditional aesthetics combined with art influences coming out of New York and California.
Action | Abstraction Redefined
Action/Abstraction Redefined features paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and works on paper from MoCNA’s permanent collection created in the 1960s and 1970s. The artists in this exhibition challenged stereotypical expectations of Native American art by experimenting with American modern art movements such as Abstract Expressionism, Color Field and Hard-edge Painting combined with art influences from their own cultural heritage. Some design elements, color choices, and patterns in the works are abstract references to Native design conventions found in textiles, pottery, or hide paintings. Like all artists, those featured in this exhibition were working from their own individual experiences.
