In my last post I tried to encourage the reader to consider computer equipment a necessity of life. Good equipment is a great economy. If you think about it, how incredible it is that a person can buy so much for so little! Practically every aspect of human life is effected by the development of computer literacy. Once a person learns operation skills the overall benefit is obviously worth far more than the equipment cost.

Last month I was researching topics that I might use in my blog post, naturally I entered a query statement “Indigenous American Art” to see what Wikipedia might yield on the subject, as I read the posted sources on the Google Search Engine page , I spied a familiar title , “The Collection of Indigenous American Art”, I was defensive, literally fearful that I might have someone Elise's title! But, then I realized that it was my title to these pages. Now the point is this, the important content here is the rare art work of the Indigenous American Craftsmen. Google and affordable personal computer equipment have made this view possible.

Several new prints follow!

You can reach me at ciaamuseum@gmail.com

Let me start this post by wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year as well. I will forgo the normal writing and suggest that computer equipment is the best Gift that you can give! Rather it is for yourself or another person, so many meaningful accomplishments start with a knowledge of computer hardware and software. Money spent on computers is invested in the future of the recipient, it is the encouragement to explore and achieve. Once again, Happy Holidays!

Here are several new prints. The prints in last weeks post did not do well, they will be deleted to make room for better work.

You can reach me at lmccarty.fa@gmail.com

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Now that there are a number of the prints visible, (You can see past post in the archive), It is obvious there is considerable variation from one plate to another. Some are literal while others are more abstract. I think that it is easy to see that modern art work in Europe and the Americas was in large part a reaction to various primitive art forms.

As early as Albrecht Durer's life time, 1471-1528, European artist were viewing exhibitions of art from “ The New World”. Durer wrote in his artist diary that he viewed a group of works in Brussels Belgium. He wrote that they were a pleasure to behold. Do you think that Rembrandt Van Rijn , 1606-1669 , might have been influenced likewise? While Rembrandt is known as a painter, he like Durer was also a print maker, working in the Intaglio process. The American Indians were using the Intaglio process 3500 years ago. The point here is that European artist had been studding Indigenous American artifacts for nearly 400 years by the time that the Armory Show was held in New York City in 1913! Many authority's consider the Armory Show to be the beginning of the Modern period in America.

You may reach me at lmccarty.fa@gmail.com

Most of the artist in the history of indigenous America were probably women. It was a great honor, a revered position and a respected place in the national government. I will point out here that I was fortunate to have a professor in my college work that told me this. This individual was a member of the Cherokee Nation and also a Council member as well. She was quick to point out that life was especially hard for women in all American nations and that the competition for recognition was sever.

I think that it is easy to see that many of these art works were probably created for children. Some for the child's interest and amusement and others for a portrait record for parents and elders. The artist produced plates much as we take photographs today. Once again, I say, can you imagine drawing a portrait in a space as small as a 35mm negative or for that matter, then carving the image on a stone? I won't even go into other accepted customs that made the art work more challenging, such as multiple images superimposed one over the other, or creating secondary compositions in other plate positions. These are evolved concepts that grew as the art form was passed from one generation to another. If you are as impressed with these works as I am, we share a common eye, and a satisfaction that feeds the mind.

What kind of art do you like? We all have different ideas and separate taste,and of course there is always the proverbial “ I don't know much about art, but I know what I like!” I say “ Good” to those that say this, because at least there is art that they do like. I usually find that their ideas about art are honest and straight forward. While my ideas about art maybe contemporary and liberal, we should respect the rights of others to differ. This is the first step in the development of a proper dialog where different points of view may be expressed.

One observation that I have made is that conservative individuals are often pleased with many of the prints in the collection of indigenous art, they study over them and quiet often agree that they are very impressed, sighting particular points, like the age of the works, miniature formats, excellent draftsmanship, or beauty of expression. In short the art work is valid because it does contain Classical virtues. They feel that the artist was a skilled artisan that by all means did a days work.

I suspect that there were more fine artist in Pre-Columbian America than there are today. Just as we seldom read and write, likewise most post-modern people take little time to look at art of any kind and creating art themselves has even less place in their minds. Primitive cultures had to rely on the ability of the individual to manufacture a needed idem, as there were no other sources of supply. Many people worked with their hands, this helped to develop the craftsman's ability to work with tools

Here are several new prints. Once again, Thank You for reading and viewing!

You can contact me at

lmccarty.fa@gmail.com