Color Critic: Lauren Chief Elk
I knew that I had to see “The Plains Indians: Artists of Earth and Sky.” And I knew that I had to take Lauren Chief Elk with me.
The Plains Indians show took a long road to New York: art lovingly created over centuries in the heartland of America (often before the existence of the United States.) These pieces traveled through the hands of many: into institutions and private collections in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States. The exhibition originated at the Musée du quay Branly, Paris, was curated by Gaylord Torrance of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and was organized by Judith Ostrowitz, Ph.D. at the Metropolitan Museum. I was beyond excited to see a culture that is often parodied and misunderstood, but rarely respected, in the halls of the Met.
And my clique had to come too! Art can be an individual or communal experience, but I wanted to hear from a modern Plains Indian.
I’m proud to welcome Lauren Chief Elk as the inaugural Color Critic. You can learn more about her work on the Save Wįyąbi Project and Model View Culture. We’ll be tweeting about this episode using the hashtag #digitalnatives.