INNOVATIVE INDIGENOUS MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ART
kathy whitman-elk woman
I come from the Three Affiliated Tribes, which are the Mandan-Hidatsa-Arikara, from the upper Missouri River, in North Dakota. My reservation is called Fort Berthold, where I grew up. I am also Norwegian from my mother.
I have been an artist all of my life, but professionally, it’s been over 30 years. I have worked in a variety of mediums. First, I was a painter for 15 years and dabbled in clay sculpture. Then I started sculpting in stone. After about 8 years of working in stone, I took a metal sculpture class at ASU and began welding steel sculptures, as well. At the same time that I added metal to my repertoire, I also added silversmithing. Although, I still work in all of these media, I also wanted to work in a recycled material so that I could make a difference in the condition of Mother Earth, by what I create. The recycled materials I chose, are aluminum cans and recycled plastic. With these materials I make jewelry and create sculptures as well. I’m also a clothing designer, which stems from my upbringing of beading and making dancing regalia. I work with repurposed leather and other fabrics.
I have a variety of sculptures. I go from realism to total abstraction. No matter the style, they all come from my culture, my heart, my spirit. My purpose in my artwork, is to share the feelings of love, harmony, reverence and respect for all things. I raised my 5 children on my art, and they have been my inspiration and motivation.
Taking care of Mother Earth and encouraging people to be more aware and more thoughtful of what sustains us, is my purpose with my artwork. I want to be more proactive and BE the difference, through what I do. I enjoy encouraging young people to be more aware of their environment and what they can do to make a positive difference in the world. By creating art with recycled materials, I believe it opens the door to endless possibilities. I can’t honestly say that I know what direction my work is taking me. I create and let it flow, trusting that it will be for the greater good.
A SNEAK PEEK INTO THE LIFE AND CAREER AND ENDEAVORS
VIDEO INTERVIEW SPONSORED BY THE MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS AND CULTURE AND INTERVIEWER IS LILLIA MCENANEY.
1.“DANCING TO THE HEARTBEAT OF MY ANCESTORS”, Created With Carved Portuguese Marble and Hand Fabricated Steel. 7’ tall
2.”STANDING STRONG WITH MY FEET ROOTED TO MOTHER EARTH”, Created With Carved Portuguese Marble and Hand Fabricated Steel. 7’ tall
“PROTECTOR OF OUR SACRED WAYS”. Acrylic Paint on Hand Stretched Canvas, 42.5” x 48” Available for Purchase in Shop
“Swirling Wind”, Hand Painted Black Leather Halter Vest, with Hand Stamped Concho Buttons,
Sterling Silver Hammered Swirl Collar and Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet.
“GIFT OF LIFE”, Eco jewelry, Created From Recycled Aluminum Cans, With Copper Backing, Rivets, and Swarovski Crystals. Available for Purchase in the Shop.
“HONOR THE MURDERED AND MISSING INDIGENOUS WOMEN”, The Horse is Created From Recycled Aluminum Cans and the Buckskin Horse Mask is Mostly Beaded and the Horse Blanket is Partially Beaded. Created to Raise Awareness and Healing for the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women. Available for Purchase in Shop
“FREEDOM”, The Powerful Magnificence of the Horse is Sculpted in Colorado Alabaster. 40” tall
“HORSE BLESSING”, Appliqué Beaded Collar, with Leather Backing and Leather Strings to Tie Behind the Neck. 4” x 6”
Available for Purchase in Shop
“Harmony”, Reticulated Hand Fabricated Sterling Silver Cuff Bracelet, Ring and Post/Dangle Earrings, with Sleeping Beauty Turquoise.
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Eco Sculpture Created from Recycled Aluminum Cans, Plastic and Acrylic on Wood Base. Created to Raise Awareness About the Destruction and Contamination of Our Drinking Water Caused by Oil Pipelines, Particularly the Dakota Access Pipeline Going Through the Missouri River.