Hide Painting of Sun Dance

date

1890-1900 C.E.

artist

>Cotsiogo is also known by his Euro-American name Cadzi Cody >his artwork was transitional because he used traditional materials and prehistoric art forms and modified them to fit the needs of the early reservation period >his artwork served as a bridge to modern native american art

context

>Eastern Shoshone tribe >prior to settling at the wind river reservation in wyoming, the Shoshone tribe moved with the seasons

content

>displays elements of several different dances including the Sun Dance and the Wolf Dance as well as pictures of daily life of the tribe members >also displays buffaloes which were sacred to the plains people

form

>painted on elk hide - paintings on animal hides were traditions in the great basin and great plain cultures >used natural pigments such as red ocher and chalk >free handed

function

>these paintings were used to record history >Cotsiogo's hide painting combines history with the contemporary movement >they would use every part of the animal and then paint on their hides as a way of honoring the animal

location

wind river reservation, wyoming