In his work, Onondaga artist Frank Buffalo Hyde explores difficult subjects such as genocide, colonization, rape, and land theft, while also questioning the label and perceptions around being an “Indian artist.”
“Concerned that this label implies that he, as a Native person, is not part of American culture, he asserts a proactive role for defining Native identity in the contemporary world. Native cultures have had a profound effect on American culture — American cars, clothes, rood, and television are part of the everyday Native experience; therefore Indian identity, according to Hyde, should reflect this continued connection to popular culture.” – Jessica R. Metcalfe, p. 110.
Image: Frank Buffalo Hyde, Left: “Eagle Dancer”, Right: “Harvest Time”, both works: 2009, Mixed media on canvas, 40”x30”
Image description: Left: A person on a skateboard with his arms stretched. Wings grow upward from behind. Star shapes cover his hands. Images of some food in bowls and flowers are also painted against pale earthy brown background. Right: A big cupcake with a raspberry on top, a large head of bee like insect, and a fish are painted against light green background.
New Native art criticism : manifestations Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Santa Fe, NM : Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, c2011. 199 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), port. ; 30 cm. English HOLLIS number: 990131504070203941
