Chris will give an overview of his work, how the visual elements in his pieces coincide but thwart conventional ledger art while addressing Native American issues and identity politics in commercial art venues. He will also talk about his experience with the Field Museum and his exhibition/intervention Drawing on Tradition and discuss how this exhibit has succeeded or failed in changing the perceptions of Native American people in the 21st Century.
Chris Pappan is an artist of Kanza, Osage and Lakota descent. He has been influenced by the Heavy Metal and Juxtapoz magazines, and the Lowbrow art movement with its cultural roots in 1970s underground comics, punk, and hot rod cultures. His work reflects mainstream society’s distorted perceptions of Native peoples and relies on the Plains Native art tradition known as Ledger Art.
A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and a nationally recognized painter and ledger artist, Chris’ work is housed in the collections of many important museum and private collections worldwide.