BIOGRAPHY
A Native American Cree–Métis–Shoshoni painter and printmaker, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith's name comes from her Shoshoni grandmother. She took a Famous American Art Course in high school, then eventually earned an AA degree at Olympic College, Bremerton, WA; a BA degree at Framingham State College, MA; and an MFA degree at the University of New Mexico. Her paintings include work in nearly every medium, but she favors oil and acrylic. Although her Native identity is central to her art, works like Tree of Life (1987) reveal a modernist identity as well. She was heavily influenced by the formal innovations of artists ranging from Joan Miró, Paul Klee, and Vasily Kandinsky to Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns.
Her work, which she termed ‘nomad art’, varies tremendously in both quality and subject matter, but there is no doubt that from the 1980s she has been one of the most influential figures of Native North American art. She has curated dozens of exhibits featuring Native American artists, exhibited widely and enjoys national recognition. She has been an outspoken activist for feminist, human rights, and environmental causes, and her art reflects these concerns, as in Browning of America (map) (2000). In her print series of the 1990s and 2000s, such as The American Landscape and Ceremony, irony and humor play out alongside her colorist strengths and broad cultural references. She has collaborated with artists in print and multimedia projects around the US, and has received numerous honors for her art and humanitarian achievements.
A Native American Cree–Métis–Shoshoni painter and printmaker, Jaune Quick-to-see Smith's name comes from her Shoshoni grandmother. She took a Famous American Art Course in high school, then eventually earned an AA degree at Olympic College, Bremerton, WA; a BA degree at Framingham State College, MA; and an MFA degree at the University of New Mexico. Her paintings include work in nearly every medium, but she favors oil and acrylic. Although her Native identity is central to her art, works like Tree of Life (1987) reveal a modernist identity as well. She was heavily influenced by the formal innovations of artists ranging from Joan Miró, Paul Klee, and Vasily Kandinsky to Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns.
Her work, which she termed ‘nomad art’, varies tremendously in both quality and subject matter, but there is no doubt that from the 1980s she has been one of the most influential figures of Native North American art. She has curated dozens of exhibits featuring Native American artists, exhibited widely and enjoys national recognition. She has been an outspoken activist for feminist, human rights, and environmental causes, and her art reflects these concerns, as in Browning of America (map) (2000). In her print series of the 1990s and 2000s, such as The American Landscape and Ceremony, irony and humor play out alongside her colorist strengths and broad cultural references. She has collaborated with artists in print and multimedia projects around the US, and has received numerous honors for her art and humanitarian achievements.
RESOURCES
1. Indian, Indio, Indigenous / Naming (Or, There is no such thing as an Indian)
2. Crystal Bridges Museum education guide focused on Mischief, Indian Land Series by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith
3. Works of art by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith in the Crystal Bridges Museum main collection:
Mischief, Indian Land Series ; Untitled
1. Indian, Indio, Indigenous / Naming (Or, There is no such thing as an Indian)
2. Crystal Bridges Museum education guide focused on Mischief, Indian Land Series by Jaune Quick-To-See Smith
3. Works of art by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith in the Crystal Bridges Museum main collection:
Mischief, Indian Land Series ; Untitled
REFERENCES
Biography adapted from Frederick J. Dockstader. "Smith, Jaune Quick-to-see." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. <http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T079313>.
Artwork behind title: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith's Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People) (detail)
Biography adapted from Frederick J. Dockstader. "Smith, Jaune Quick-to-see." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. <http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T079313>.
Artwork behind title: Jaune Quick-to-See Smith's Trade (Gifts for Trading Land with White People) (detail)
