Unbound: Narrative Art of the Plains

A celebration of the dynamic tradition of narrative art among Native nations of North America's Great Plains. Unbound traces the evolution of the art form from historical hides, muslins and ledger books to more than fifty contemporary works. Edited by National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) curator Emil Her Many Horses (Oglala Lakota), this volume features historical masterworks by 14 artists and unveils new works from 11 contemporary artists commissioned by the museum exclusively for Unbound. Illustrating everything from war deeds and ceremonial events to pop culture, the selected artworks are as diverse as the individuals who created them. Plains narrative art took shape through various media such as painted hide tipis, robes and shirts. In the late nineteenth century, as trade broadened, artists created elaborate scenes of battles and ceremonies on large muslin tipi liners. When ledger books became available, artists filled their pages with narrative drawings to record their past and preserve their cultures. Native artists began reviving ?ledger art? in the 1970s, creating a vibrant form that takes on contemporary topics, uses a variety of media and is widely collected. AUTHOR: Emil Her Many Horses is an associate curator at the National Museum of the American Indian and the curator of the Unbound exhibition. A member of the Oglala Lakota Nation of South Dakota, he specializes in the Native cultures of the central plains. He was the lead curator of the museum's inaugural exhibition Our Universes: Traditional Knowledge Shapes Our World, and co-curator of Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native Women's Dresses and A Song for the Horse Nation: Horses in Native American Cultures. Her Many Horses is also an award-winning artist who creates contemporary beadwork and dolls. SELLING POINTS: . A vibrant and important book that traces the evolution of Plains narrative art from historic hides, muslins, and ledger books to more than 50 contemporary works . Featured artworks are as diverse as the individuals who created them . Highlights include historic masterworks from the museum's collections including: Long Soldier (Lakota/Nakota), Mountain Chief (Blackfeet), Bear's Heart (Southern Cheyenne), Zo-tom (Kiowa), Black Chicken (Yanktonnai), Canté-wani'ca/No Heart (Yanktonai), Chief Washakie (Shoshone), Spotted Tail (Crow), Old Buffalo (Lakota/Nakota), Rain In The Face (Lakota), and Cehu'pa/Jaw (Hunkpapa Lakota) . Unveils new works commissioned by the museum exclusively for Unboundby Dr. Ronald Burgess (Comanche), Sherman Chaddlesone (Kiowa), David Dragonfly (Pikuni), Lauren Good Day Giago (Arikara/Hidatsa/Blackfeet/Plains Cree), Darryl Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux), Juanita Growing Thunder Fogarty (Assiniboine/Sioux), Terrance Guardipee (Blackfeet), Vanessa Jennings (Kiowa/Pima), Dallin Maybee (Arapaho), Chester Medicine Crow (Apsáalooke [Crow]), Chris Pappan (Kaw Nation/Osage/Cheyenne River Sioux), Joe Pulliam (Lakota), Martin E. Red Bear (Oglala Lakota), Norman Frank Sheridan (Southern Cheyenne/Arapaho), Dwayne Wilcox (Oglala/Lakota), Jim Yellowhawk (Cheyenne River Lakota) 100 colour illustrations