The first appraisal of modern Native American abstraction, merging abstract expressionism, color field and hard-edge painting with Native American art

The volume features paintings and works on paper from the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum of Contemporary Native Arts' (IAIA MoCNA) collection, created in the 1960s and 1970s. These artists challenged stereotypical expectations of Indian art by experimenting with New York School abstraction combined with art influences from their own cultural heritage. This departure, supported by the groundbreaking art education philosophy at IAIA, revolutionized the Native American art world.

Artists include: Ray Aguilar, Ralph Aragon, Sammy Begay, Larry (Littlebird) Bird, Earl Biss, Bennet Brien, Bennie Buffalo, George Burdeau, T.C. Cannon, Art Chischilly, Joseph L. Concha, Larry Desjarlais, Joe Dudley, Earl Eder, Mary Eder, Kirby Feathers, Anita (Luttrell) Fields, Phyllis Fife, Herman Fragua, Henry (Hank) Gobin, John Gritts, Harvey Herman, Patrick Swazo Hinds, John Hoover, Michael Jenkins, Peter B. Jones, Ralph Robert Kniffen, Delores Lee, Alice Loiselle, Linda Lomaheftawa, Linda Lucero, Edna Massey and more.

With texts by Lara Evans, Ryan S. Flahive, Shanna Ketchum-Heap of Birds, Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer, Stephen Wall , and Manuela Well-Off-Man

Designed by David Chickey and Montana Currie

Published by the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, 2020

Hardcover, 148 pages, full color, 10.5 × 8.5 images

ISBN: 978-1-73-284031-7