Lot 81
Bonnie Halsey-Dutton (American, Contemporary). "Pictograph of Change" watercolor and gouache on paper, 2009. Signature and date at lower right. Signature, title, and date handwritten on verso. A striking painting by Bonnie Halsey-Dutton depicting a magnificent Sioux feathered headdress or war bonnet against a background embellished with renderings of shield pictographs inspired by the Castle Garden site in Wyoming, and a row of guns and hash marks representing kills at the bottom. A very special painting, replete with impressive artistry as well as layers of historical and cultural meaning, that is floated upon a backdrop painted by the artist to resemble bison hide in a deep acrylic shadowbox frame. In the artist's words, "A representative icon from the past is a Sioux feathered headdress. Stately and proud, the headdress, or war bonnet, was a status symbol to the Plains Indians. Each feather was a reward for a deed in battle, and each also held a story." Size (painting): 30" L x 11" W (76.2 cm x 27.9 cm) Size (shadowbox): 34.4" L x 15.4" W x 2.7" deep (87.4 cm x 39.1 cm x 6.9 cm)
Bonnie Halsey-Dutton was born and raised in South Dakota and is inspired by the local cultures where she resides as well as their history. She has written the following statement about this piece which is attached to the verso, "Ancient rock carvings and pictograph paintings are found across North America. These mysterious images hold profound meaning as well as questions. The rock carvings depicted in this artwork are adapted from those found in the Wind River Basin in Wyoming. By etching a mark into the stone, it is believed that early people were making a symbol of permanence which bonded them to the sacred powers of the earth.
While creating this piece, a prehistoric rock carving depicting a person took on additional meaning for me. Selecting petroglyphs to include with the war bonnet, I was startled to realize an image I'd often seen before, now had clear meaning. I knew instantly: it depicted a warrior with a feathered headdress. Each pictograph and rock carving held stories long ago lost to time.
The Castle Garden site in Wyoming depicts many shield images, which are rendered in this artwork. The more 'modern' painted imagery at the bottom of the painting depicts guns and hash marks, which represent kills. Painted pictographs are not as old as carved images and are often painted over more ancient imagery. These pigmented depictions are as seen at the Pictograph Cave State Park, near Billings, Montana.
A representative icon from the past is a Sioux feathered headdress. Stately and proud, the headdress, or war bonnet, was a status symbol to the Plains Indians. Each feather was a reward for a deed in battle, and each also held a story."
Bonnie Halsey-Dutton has used shadowbox framing to underscore the cultural importance of the theme and suggest a treasured museum artifact. This piece is painted on heavy-weight archival watercolor paper, and the manner of paint application was intended to convey age and weathering. In addition, the paper's deckled edge further imbues the piece with a sense of history.
Provenance: private Spearfish, South Dakota, USA collection
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#174351
- Condition: Overall excellent. Signature and date at lower right. Signature, title, and date handwritten on verso. The artist has floated this painting in a deep clear acrylic shadowbox frame. The paper is mounted upon archival black foam core that has been permanently attached to a faux-painted heavy Masonite backing. Fit with suspension wire and ready to display. Halsey-Dutton's informative description and COA is attached to the verso of this piece.
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