The Purple Heart, 1998, acrylic, pencil, collage on
canvas, 24" X 18".
The portrait in this painting is of an Arapaho war chief
that lived on the Wind River Reservation at the turn of the century.
As I worked with his image, I thought about what his life must have
been like. He was born in a time before the Arapahos were assigned to
share a reservation with their enemies, the Shoshone. I wanted to
create a tribute to this man and his people for all they endured, for
their values, way of life, and spiritual beliefs. The mandala becomes
sort of a halo with the six-pointed star made of two triangles,
symbolizing the coming together of heaven and earth. The "feathers"
become hearts and the colored squares on his chest are "compartments"
of the stored memories and experiences of his people.
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