Lot 205
Bonnie Halsey-Dutton (American, Contemporary). "The Year the Stars Fell" watercolor and gouache on paper, 2010. Signed and dated on lower right along right edge of planet earth. A special painting by Bonnie Halsey-Dutton that pays homage to the winter of 1833-34 referred to by many Plains Indian tribes as "The Year the Stars Fell" due to the Leonid meteor storm which was recorded in numerous tribes' winter counts. The composition features crescent moons and various stellar forms as well as phrases such as "The stars fell / It rained stars / Storm of Stars Winter / The Year the Stars Fell" and a lengthy descriptive passage inscribed on planet earth in which the artist compares "The Year the Stars Fell" to a form of Rosetta Stone in Native American archaeological research. See the extended description below for that inscription. Size (painting): 30" L x 11" W (76.2 cm x 27.9 cm) Size (shadowbox): 34.5" L x 15.4" W x 2.7" D (87.6 cm x 39.1 cm x 6.9 cm)
Inscribed on an orb representing planet earth at the bottom of this composition is the following passage, "The winter count is a form of record keeping utilized by the Native American Plains Indians. A significant event from each year was recorded pictorially on a material such as bison hide from winter to winter. The narrative that went with each year was handed down from generation to generation. 'The Year the Stars Fell' was in the winter of 1833-1834. The event was a momentous meteor shower witnessed and recorded the world over. It was a significant event recorded on most Native American winter counts, thus this event serves to date a given image on a count. This is a form of Rosetta Stone, as it establishes a timeline in which historians can analyze a tribe's winter counts. 'The Year the Stars Fell' is a significant key to unlocking the dating of events as they are recorded on the Plains Indians winter counts."
Interestingly, 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.
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 is both a professional visual artist and a fine arts educator, holding a PhD in Art History and Education from the University of Arizona. Bonnie Halsey-Dutton exhibits her artwork both nationally and internationally, and also teaches art education workshops at home and abroad.
Provenance: private Spearfish, South Dakota, USA collection
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#181228
- Condition: Overall excellent and demonstrates impressive artistry and technique. Signed and dated at bottom right (at edge of hide shield). 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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