Native art style is reimagined

Tlingit art of the Northwest native cultures, found on utilitarian and personal objects of these tribes, are displayed in various states of realism. Eyes, joints, fins and feathers are broken into pieces with bold black lines and filled in with red and blue hues.

     The exhibit, “Decaf/Regular” which is on view through April 14, 2019 at the Anchorage Museum, Alison Marks challenges assumptions and expectations about Tlingit art. Her work tackles cultural appropriation with subversive humor and reimagines traditional Tlingit themes using contemporary materials.

     A works consist of a range of media, painting, carving, digital collage and regalia which blends the two dimensional design style, used by the peoples of the Northwest Coast, with nontraditional materials and techniques as a means to engage with a constantly evolving cultural landscape.

For more information, see: www.anchoragemuseum.org.

About

Alison Marks was born and raised in Southeast Alaska. Marks is the first Tlingit woman to carve and raise a totem pole. In addition to her contemporary art practice, she is committed to the revitalization of the Tlingit language and crating works for traditional and ceremonial use. She studied under master artists David R. Boxley and David A. Boxley in Kingston, Washington. Her work is included in the permanent collections of the Burke Museum, Portland Art Museum, the Frye Art Museum, Château Musée Boulonge-sur-Mer and the British Museum in London.