Lakota painter's works out of this world

Page 14

When the space shuttle Endeavour took flight on March 2, it carried a

painting by Lakota artist Donald F. Montileaux (Yellowbird). The flight

of the painting, entitled Looking Beyond Oneself, has made the artist

something of a media darling.

The acrylic work, commissioned by the Scientific Knowledge for Indian

Learning and Leadership program at the South Dakota School of Mines and

Technology in Rapid City, came back to Earth on March 17.

Upon receiving the call from NASA, which is responsible for space

exploration the United States and operates the space shuttle, Montileaux

says he thought to himself "Yeah, right, like that's really going to

happen." But the request to include Looking beyond Oneself in the

shuttle payload was genuine.

As a consultant on marketing for Native artists, Montileaux appreciates

the importance that this kind of exposure can have in drawing attention

to artists' work.

Montileaux has donated Looking beyond Oneself to the SKILL program,

which provides young Native Americans with upgrading in math and science

to prepare them for college. Four hundred signed prints of the painting

were reproduced, of which 40 went to Montileaux. Proceeds from the sale

of the remaining prints will be channeled back into the program.

In addition to his work as an artist and marketing consultant,

Montileaux is also the assistant manger of the Rushmore Civic Centre in

Rapid City, which is near the famed Black Hills.

Basically a self-taught artist, Montileaux first developed his

technique by studying the symbols on Lakota buffalo hides and tipi

covers. He attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe,

New Mexico, and interned under noted artist Oscar Howe at the University

of Dakota, but he cites the influence of his mentor Herman Red Elk as

the main source of inspiration and direction in his work. Red Elk's

two-dimensional works on watercolor paper, hides and tipi covers have

had a profound and lasting effect on the younger artist's style of

painting.

His cultural and personal background have also had a great influence on

his work, notably in terms of theme and setting. The son of a rancher,

Montileaux notes that horses are an important element in his art.

Given his personal background, it is not surprising that images of

Native hunters and warriors thundering across the plains on horseback

figure prominently in his work. Montileaux also says, however, that not

all of the settings he uses are of a traditional nature. Often, he will

set thematic material that is traditional in nature against settings

that are modern.

Although his work is influenced by the geometric style used to depict

humans, animals and landscapes in traditional hide paintings, he also

points out that he makes use of more realistic elements as well. For

instance, the men, horses and mountains depicted in Looking Beyond

Oneself are fuller and more rounded than the images usually found on

early hide and tipi paintings, even though the perspective presented in

this painting remains flat, or two-dimensional.

The use of this two-dimensional perspective is by no means random, for

the whole point is to focus the attention on the sharpness of detail in

the painting. If the three-dimensional technique of depth perspective

were used, this sharpness of detail would be sacrificed. Clarity is

centrally important in his work.

The mix of abstract of geometric elements with realistic or rounded

elements in Looking Beyond Oneself provides a contrast in detail that

lends a greater clarity and immediacy to the scene that could be

achieved through the use of either the abstract or realistic by

themselves.

In addition to the artist's observations on the importance of horses,

warriors and the hunt in the imagery of his paintings, he also notes the

importance of animal spirits in that imagery.

"In my particular community I have been accorded the right to do so as

the keeper of sacred images," says Montileaux. Actively involved in the

observanc and preservation of traditional Lakota customs, ceremonies

and beliefs, he takes every opportunity to attend community gatherings

as a dancer and speaker.

Working exclusively with acrylic paints, his work displays the same use

of primary colors -- bright reds, blues, yellows and greens -- which are

seen in the traditional hide and tipi cover painting he first studied.

"Definition is important in my work and acrylic paints achieve this

effect to a higher degree than others," he says. "Oil paints, for

example, tend to be too muddy and streaky for true definition."

For those wishing to contact Donald F. Montileaux, his studio address

is: 615 Pluma Drive, Rapid City, SD 57702, USA; Telephone:

(605)348-7758.