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Ed Rossbach

Western Star, 1989

Description

Maker

Title

Western Star

Year

1989

Medium

Plaited ash splints, cotton plain weave, rawhide, and faux fur; bottom half covered with rice paper pattern with heat-transfer printing

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Dimensions

50.8 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm (20 x 9 x 9 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Signed and dated on bottom "Western StarEd Rossbach1989"

Type

Credit

Purchased with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts and the generosity of the Museum Associates

Object Number

1990.003

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Former Glory

July 27, 2018 - January 20, 2019

Made to resemble Indigenous American beadwork, these flags, figures, and horses were drawn on graph paper, heat-transferred to rice paper, and grafted to a basket base for a tessellated effect.

Beginning in the 1880s, flags became common in Plains Native American embellishment. Representations and use of the flag varied, with some Natives adopting it to show they were no longer a threat or to appeal to non-Indigenous buyers. Native Americans also proudly carry the flag as patriots, service people, and veterans: per capita, their rate of military service is higher than any other ethnic group, a statistic that has remained constant for more than 200 years. Ironically, they were not legally recognized as citizens until 1924, and some Indigenous Americans weren’t allowed to vote until 1962.

Artist Ed Rossbach borrowed freely from non-Western traditions. A self-proclaimed experimentalist, his simplified renderings can also be deemed cultural appropriation.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Western Star with the accession number of 1990.003. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.