Nationality
American, Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Metis
Preview
Date of Work
2019
Medium
Digital drawing printed on canvas
Signature
Bottom right
Height
16"
Width
16"
Depth
1 1/2"
Collection/Provenance
Contemporary Indigenous Art Collections: Student Government Collection
Status
Displayed
Location
Memorial Union Gallery
Artist Bio
From the artist:
Bill Brien is a Lakota, Dakota, Chippewa, Metis artist. Brien is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in North Dakota. Brien is also from the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation also in North Dakota.
Brien graduated from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, in 2011 with a degree in history with minors in philosophy and geography. Since 2011, Brien has resided in the city of Bismarck, ND.
In 2016, Brien found his love and passion for art because of his wife, Geri. Geri was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. In early 2015, Geri was cancer free, but by the end of 2015, the cancer had returned and spread. Geri fought the cancer with courage, hope, and love, and that inspired Brien to share her story through art. Brien's wife was an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Lakota in SD.
Brien is a self-taught artist. He calls himself "a digital cell phone artist." His chosen medium is digital art, using his cell phone as his canvas to create all his work. Brien can create anywhere, when inspired.
Brien’s art has been displayed around various North Dakota art galleries: Bismarck Art & Galleries Association, Bismarck Downtown Artist Cooperative, Gallery 4 in Fargo, ND and the Red Door Art Gallery in Whapeton, ND.
Brien had a piece in the 2019 Bring Her Home: Stolen Daughters of Turtle Island Art Exhibit at the All My Relations Art Gallery in Minneapolis, MN.
Brien participated in the 2020 Online Heard Museum Indian Art Market and won first place in the Photography and 2D category at the 2021 Red Earth Festival Juried Art Show in Shawnee, OK.
Brien participated in the 2022 Santa Fe Indian Art Market in Santa Fe, NM, the 2022 and 2023 Gift of Mother Earth Art Show at Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota, the 2022 Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City, OK, and the 2024 Colorado Indian Art Market, in Denver, CO.
Brien created the award for Recovery Reinvented 2021, an initiative created by the First Lady of North Dakota, Kathryn Bergum
Brien’s work can also be seen at area pow-wow's during the summer months. Brien is also a noted clothing designer. Brien applies his art to clothing. From skirts and dresses to hoodies and hats people from different walks of life can be seen wearing his creations.
The highlight of Brien’s art career is being recognized by the Bismarck Cancer Center at its annual Hope Giver’s Extraordinaire Banquet. Brien was recognized for donations made to the Bismarck Cancer Center from art sales in honor of his late wife, Geri. Geri made her Heavenly journey on May 1, 2018, after a four year battle with breast cancer.
Additional Information
The sun shines over a field of corn, beans, and squash ready to be harvested.
From the artist:
The story behind this piece references, two different sources or stories. The first story is known as The Three Sisters, (Corn, Beans and Squash). They are grown together and look after one another. Many tribes have a story regarding growing these crops together. There is a practical reason why planting these crops together works. But there was also a spiritual component of why these crops were planted together, and that was reflective in this piece titled Generations.
The Three Sisters look after one another. Corn looks after her sister, beans, by growing tall, so her stocks are strong enough so the bean vines and climb the stocks. In doing so, her sister beans will have somewhere to grow and be protected. Beans provide nutrients to the soil around her sisters, corn and squash that they may grow strong and healthy. The other sister, squash, will shade the mound with her leaves and ensuring that the mound will retain moisture and nutrients. The leaves will also keep the mound from unwanted weeds from growing as well.
The second story comes from the Mandan about "The Old Woman Who Never Dies," she sends geese, swans, and ducks, indicating to the people when to plant. In the spring when the people would see geese that meant it was time to plant corn. When the people would see the ducks, that meant to plant beans and when they would see the swans that meant to plant squash.
The history of agriculture from the Native American perspective was more than just growing food. For those tribes that primarily grew food their life was reflective of that in their songs and ceremonies and how they lived.
In this piece, the earth lodge represents people/families/nations. The crops represent agriculture/food/sustenance. The water, sun and soil provide the nutrients that the crops may grow year after year generation after generation.
When we work together with all of our different talents and gifts life could be so beautiful. Examples of working together can be found everywhere in nature. This piece represents just a few examples in nature of what can be possible when we work together.
Condition
Excellent
