Original Painting “Spotted Pony” [SOLD]

Jaune Quick-To-See Smith is a contemporary Native American artist whose work is a visual commentary on the past and present conditions of Native people in American society. She uses a variety of media to present emotional images portraying the Indian experience; the consequences of negative stereotypes being juxtaposed against images of continuing strength and courage.

“Spotted Pony” is an excellent example of Quick-To-See-Smith’s ability to use a variety of images to tell a story that provokes a mixture of feelings. On the top left is an Appaloosa, the famous spotted pony, colored in purple and black. The horse is facing a spirit-like charcoal image of a human hovering with symbols in what seems like the spiritual realm. A fish, a bird, a snake, a butterfly and a bear on the right side of the image remind us of the connection between the natural world and the spiritual world.

The left side of the painting is an explosion of color. Blues, greens and yellows dance with geometric shapes as a contrast to the charcoal images on the right. At the bottom of the painting a hand gently reaches up to support the entire collage of images.

This painting is part of the artist’s environment series based on speeches by Chief Seattle Speaks.  It is signed in lower right, framed in a manner that the entire paper is visible without any mats covering any of it. 

Condition: original condition

Recommended Reading:  The Sweet Grass Lives On: Fifty Contemporary North American Indian Artists by Jamake Highwater

Provenance: The painting was purchased in 1990 by the current owners, Marvin and Betty Rubin