Untitled Painting of Native Man by Paul Pletka [SOLD]

This untitled work by Paul Pletka features a Native man in an elaborate feather headdress. Pletka is best known for his colorful, large format paintings of Native subjects. With this piece, he worked on a smaller scale and with simpler tools, using what appears to be gouache and pen and ink on crisp white paper.

Pletka’s subject is turned away from the viewer, gazing off to the right side of the image. He holds a feathered item and wears an elaborate feathered headdress. As he does in his larger works, Pletka chose specific elements to portray in great detail, focusing here on the man’s headdress and moccasins. The man’s face received similarly careful attention, resulting in an appealing, sensitive portrayal. Pletka’s work with this small piece is excellent.

The painting is signed Pletka in lower left. It was framed in a wood frame under white matting by Wilkinson & Company of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Paul Pletka (1946- ) is a painter who was born in California but now lives in New Mexico. Pletka attended Arizona State University on a scholarship and then transferred to Colorado State University, where he studied printmaking. His work, which has been described as “neo-surrealistic”, focuses on the Native American peoples with whom he has been fascinated since childhood. Pletka’s technical abilities combine with knowledge of and respect for his Native subjects, resulting in works that have become sought after by collectors. His works are included in many prominent public and private collections.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Untitled Painting of Native Man by Paul Pletka is from a  private Santa Fe collection

Recommended Reading: Paul Pletka: Imagined Wests by Amy Scott (Author), James K. Ballinger (Foreword), Mr. Paul Pletka (Contributor)

TAGS: Western Art, Paul Pletka