Artwork copyright George Longfish. Photo courtesy of the artist.

America: 500 Years, "I" is for Indian as "I" is for Invisible #2, 1992

George Longfish
(American | Seneca Nation | Tuscarora, born 1942)

Location: Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Lacey

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

America: 500 Years, "I" is for Indian as "I" is for Invisible #2 is part of artist George Longfish's series of political artworks. This collage interprets the contradictions of the "Noble Savage" in American stereotypes. He notes that Native Americans "have become the symbols of America's conquest with very little or no regard for Indians as people or as humans… We work on dichotomies that have been placed into the space of Native Americans for hundreds of years, denying us our power and respect for our spiritual information."

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Secretary of State.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Celebrated artist George Longfish (Seneca and Tuscarora) creates paintings and sculptures about the dynamic identities, cultures, and stories informing the Native American experience. He is Professor Emeritus of Native American Studies at University of California, Davis, where he taught for thirty years. He earned Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts degrees from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.