Object number2024.26.1

enit

Date2010

Artist Wendy Red Star (Apsáalooke, born 1981)

CultureApsáalooke

MediumInk jet print mounted on color lithograph

EditionEdition Bon a Tier of 12, plus 3 artist’s proofs, 1 printers’ proof, 2 publisher proofs, and 3 color trial proofs

DimensionsImage: 22 3/8 x 30 in. (56.8 x 76.2 cm)

Credit LinePurchase, gift of Mrs. Frederick Ferris Thompson, by exchange

On View

Not on view

Period21st c

Classification(s)

SignedOn recto, signed lower right corner in Prismacolor pencil

InscribedOn recto, by artist, lower left corner in Prismacolor pencil: BAT; lower middle edge: enit; lower right corner: [signature]. On reverse, by unidentified hand, lower left corner in pencil: R BFK Wh / CSP10-101

MarkingsOn recto, blindstamped left corner: Crow's Shadow Institute of the Arts logo; lower right corner: printer's chop

Vassar Exhibitions

My Grandmother's Whispers: Indigenous Prints and Beadwork

Label TextReservation cars or “rez cars” symbolize life on the reservation, serving as visual representations of home for many Indigenous families. However, according to artist Wendy Red Star, these cars and reservations have also “come to represent a resilient and proud community to me—a community that overcomes obstacles to keep its culture alive. I see beauty in these objects and in their particularity they somehow make me proud to be a part of evolving Crow culture.” Employing her knowledge and experience of reservation life, Red Star has worked to build the character and aesthetic of a familiar scene. Enit alludes to a colorful history of reservation housing and cars, possessions that also reflect the culture, experiences, and livelihoods of their owners. Bold thematic colors collide to reveal the complexity of life on reservations, and allow the audience to experience moments shared between two people. The highly decorated vehicle against the background is reflective of what home looks and feels like in this cultural context.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email loebcollections@vassar.edu