Transforming Images ─ The Art of Silver Horn and His Successors

Silver Horn's lifespan (1860-1940) placed him in the midst of extreme cultural transformations: by the time of his death, highways, silos, and gas stations dominated the land that had, at his birth, been the domain of buffalo herds and Plains Indians. Silver Horn's art documents these massive changes in the lives of the Kiowa Indians, as well as changes in Kiowa art itself: from the traditional hide paintings, themes of warfare, and two-dimensional perspectives, Silver Horn progressed through ledger drawings, scenes of domesticity, and experiments with more naturalistic styles. The bridge he created between ancient Kiowa aesthetics and modern forms of expression had dramatic impact, serving as models for younger Native American artists such as he Kiowa Five of the 1930s, and influencing contemporary artists such as Sharron Ahtone Jarjo, T.C. Cannon, and Sherman Chaddlesone.

Works by each of these artists appeared at the Alfred Smart Museum of Art for Transforming Images, the first comprehensive exhibition of Silver Horn's work to date. This volume, richly illustrated with 75 color plates and 15 black and white photographs, collects art and commentary from the exhibit.

Robert G. Donnelley, a former director of the Terra Museum of American Art, presently serves on the Visiting Committee of the D'Arcy McNickle Indian Center for American Indian History at the Newberry Library, as well as the Collections and Libraries Committee at the Field Museum of Natural History.

Candace S. Green is a specialist in North American ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, and author of the forthcoming book Silver Horn: Master Illustrator of the Sious.

Janet Catherine Berlow is a professor of art history and the Susan B. Anthony Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Rochester.