2015 Western Art Collector - Honeymoon At Crow Fair

I think it fitting if I begin this story with a statement by the artist John Coleman. This does in fact provide a perspective to what began as, in my opinion, the most impressive of all his works to date.

“The idea for Honeymoon at Crow Fair first came to me when I purchased an antique parasol. Some of my favorite historic Native American imagery includes pictures of a warrior, dressed in regalia associated with doing battle, and is holding what we consider today to be a symbol of femininity; the parasol,” says Coleman. “Seeing this always makes me smile, but when you understand the practicality of portable shade for a man living on the plains, and that some of these men were flamboyant, it makes a lot of sense. The perfect vehicle I felt to explore my parasol idea was to create a piece depicting a couple from the early 1900s participating in the annual Crow Fair Parade on the Crow Agency, introducing themselves to their people for the first time as newlyweds.”

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Posted to: Stories Behind the Art - In Print