#19 (Three Dancers) c. 1940s

Stephen Mopope created this image of three dancers with paint on paper. The even, matte surface suggests a deliberately flat application. This aesthetic was part of a broader turn in the early 20th century, with artists throughout the world looking to so-called ‘primitive’ examples. Mopope was one of the Kiowa Six, who built a successful art practice on a revival of ancestral traditions. They combined this with engagement with the market, creating works for sale. The insistent frontality and evenness in the application of the paint may be inflected by the conditions of its production. Mopope’s aesthetic choices also suggest a canny negotiation of multiple audiences. The Kiowa Six produced work that could be read as authentically indigenous while also participating in a contemporary global conversation about the value of folk art. By looking closely at the making of this work, we can appreciate its complex cultural position.