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Exploring One Apache family
Apache Cradelboard by Allan Houser is part of the "Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family" exhibit now on display at Gilcrease Museum. MIKE SIMONS / Tulsa World
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
Published: 11/22/2009 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009 10:16 AM
Getting some of the works of art that make up the exhibit "Unconquered" required that the staff of Gilcrease Museum employ some "old school" methods.
"Some of these pieces weigh several tons," said Randy Ramer, director of exhibitions at Gilcrease. "And there's no way to get a crane big enough to move them into the museum.
"So we did what the ancient Egyptians did, and rolled the pieces along ramps, using dowel rods. It worked then, and it worked for us."
"Unconquered: Allan Houser and the Legacy of One Apache Family" officially opened to the public Saturday, although a good portion of the show has been on display for more than a week.
It features the work of Oklahoma native Allan Houser, one of the revolutionary figures in American Indian art, best known for his powerful, stylized sculptures.
His "Sacred Rain Arrow," on permanent display on the Gilcrease Museum grounds, appears on the current Oklahoma license plate. Another of his sculptures, "As Long as the Waters Flow," stands before the Capitol in Oklahoma City.
This is the first major exhibition of works by Houser at Gilcrease since 1989, when the museum presented "Expressions of Tradition: Sculpture by Allan Houser." At that time, he described his art by saying, "What I'm trying to do is to make the Indian image look more contemporary and beautiful, as one way to stimulate a sense of dignity and pride."
The exhibit also includes works by two of Houser's sons, Phillip Haozous and Bob Haozous (who use the family's Apache name, rather than the Anglicized version given their father when he attended Indian schools).
Tulsans are familiar with at least one of Bob Haozous' works.
His "Artificial Cloud" towers above the pedestrian walkway on Boston Avenue between First and Archer streets.
"While they are all members of the same family, they are three artists with very distinct viewpoints," Ramer said.
"Allan Houser was the pioneer. He came of age at a time when some teachers and critics had very strict ideas about what was 'Indian art,' and Houser rebelled against that — much to everyone's benefit."
Confrontational humor
That is the reason, Ramer said, for the exhibit's title. It traces the history of the Haozous family, from Allan's parents to his sons' careers.
"It's a story about survival, and finding one's own way," Ramer said. "And Phillip Haozous is seen as carrying on the tradition, with works that take the innovations of his father's work in new directions.
"Bob, on the other hand, is very much the provocateur. His work is often very political, very confrontational, but there's also a great deal of humor in what he creates."
In addition to the sculptures for which Houser is most famous, the show also includes a generous selection of his paintings.
"Allan Houser was a very accomplished painter before he turned to sculpture," Ramer said.
"We've added about 50 pieces to the 80 works that made up the original exhibit."
Not all of the exhibit, however, is inside the museum.
Three monument-sized works have been set up on the museum's grounds, including a life-size portrait of Allan Houser by his son Phillip, that has been set up to face the "Sacred Rain Arrow" sculpture and the museum's entrance.
"Unconquered," which was created by the Oklahoma Historical Center, is being presented at Gilcrease as part of "Oklahoma Landscapes: A Plains State of Mind," a project conceived by the Tulsa Performing Arts Center Trust.
It is presented in connection with the award-winning play "August: Osage County," and funded through an "American Masters" grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Gilcrease and the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers are partners with the PAC Trust in the "Oklahoma Landscapes" project.
UNCONQUERED: ALLAN HOUSER AND THE LEGACY OF ONE APACHE FAMILY
When: Through March 21, 2010
Where: Gilcrease Museum, 1400 N.
Gilcrease Museum Road
Admission: $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 college
students with valid ID, children 18
and under free.
James D. Watts Jr. 581-8478
james.watts@tulsaworld.com
By JAMES D. WATTS JR. World Scene Writer
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