When I first encountered Inuit art I knew nothing about it but the more I saw the more intrigued I became. Visits to Vancouver and Toronto fueled my curiosity. With a little research, I discovered that the Arctic Artistry Gallery which specialized in Inuit art was only about two miles from where I lived. Over […]
As a collector, I can say in all honesty that I never know what type of art will attract my attention. Lately, I am mostly drawn to abstract works rather than those that are representational. When the 2014 Cape Dorset Annual Print Collection was released (the highpoint of the year for collectors of Inuit prints) […]
Collecting is a learning process, or it should be, in my opinion. In order to remain relevant, collectors and collections must continually evolve. Although, over the years, I have acquired many different types of Native art, I began with pottery and, though I am fast running out of space, I still can never resist an […]
More than ever before Native artists are challenging ideas of what it means to be both Native and an artist. They are expanding Native art beyond traditional boundaries and refusing to be confined by anyone else’s notions of what their art should or should not be. Nothing, be it themes, materials, or forms, is off […]
Each year scores of tourists are drawn to Alaska’s Pribilof Islands by the prospect of seeing millions of animals in their natural habitat. Most, however, are totally unaware that the “Galápagos of the North” was once the site of a shocking human tragedy that lasted more than 200 years. The history of the Unungan, […]
The purpose of art is not merely to be decorative. Great art forces us to see the world around us from a unique perspective. While art can be beautiful it can also be unsettling, shocking, or thought provoking. The work of great artists not only elicits an emotional response but, also challenges us to think […]
Late in her life, Inuit artist Napachie Pootogook began to create a series of drawings documenting life as it was once lived by her people, thereby creating a body of work the likes of which had not been seen before. At the time Napachie produced these works, what collectors, curators and the general public wanted […]
As a former teacher, I tend to view all educational institutions with a critical eye and, it would be fair to say that, it takes a great deal to impress me. It seems that there is often so much cant where education is concerned. However, a school that clearly fosters learning, artistic talent and a […]
Sometimes in order to go forward it is necessary to go backward. This is especially true for artists who, for inspiration, often turn to earlier artistic forms, such as ledger art, or to a time in life that was particularly painful or fraught with struggles. In addition, contemporary Native American […]
For well over a century, images of Native Americans have been flashed across movie screens worldwide. The tales of “wild Indians” and “noble savages” that audiences devoured as emblematic of the American West were illusions on more than one level. For the most part, the stories have been fictitious but, even when based on fact, […]
In the minds of many, Native American artists are inexorably linked with what has come to be known as the “traditional arts” – pottery, baskets, beadwork and such. However, while many contemporary Native artists still work in these media, more often than not, they execute their art in decidedly modernist ways. Other contemporary Native artists […]
When most people think of Native American art I doubt petroglyphs or other forms of rock art come to mind. However, these ancient markings are important to understanding much of the Native art that followed, including that produced in the contemporary era. Rock art is mysterious, mystical and mesmerizing. What makes it so fascinating is […]
When I first began to collect Native art in the early 1980s I did so in an encyclopedic fashion. If I saw three pieces of pottery or four baskets, for example, and couldn’t decide which was the best among them I would simply buy them all since prices were affordable. Fortunately, the works were all […]
Acquiring art for my collection has been an enjoyable process, except for figuring out how to pay for it. Usually, that has been solved with payment plans. In almost thirty years of collecting I’ve purchased pieces for my collection from shops, galleries, trading posts and directly from artists. Often, art was collected while traveling and, […]
Whenever I lecture about Native art I always explain that as a collector sometimes one is given a great deal of information, sometimes just a little, sometimes none and, in some cases, misinformation. As a beginning collector, I was so delighted to acquire a piece I liked that it never really […]
February, 2014 The American West is instantly recognizable to people around the world because, for generations, it has been portrayed in countless works of art. Paintings, novels, plays, operas and, most recently, movies and TV have presented it as a wild and violent place. However, over the last century the West has been seen through […]
Here is an essay and link to the virtual version of “Decolonizing the Exhibition: Contemporary Inuit Prints and Drawings from the Edward J. Guarino Collection,” which will be on view at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College through February 2. http://pages.vassar.edu/amst282/
January 2014 King Galleries is pleased that Edd Guarino has been a part of our website since 2007! The opinions stated in his columns are his and do not necessarily reflect those of the gallery or its artists. What started out as a few articles a year is now a monthly blog. The past articles have led […]
