Nature-The Muse of Art Michele Laughing-Reeves

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Nature -The Muse of Art

By Michele Laughing-Reeves

There is one question that artists are often asked, and usually there is no clear way to answer it. “How are you so creative?” Yes, that might sound weird, but a lot of artists find themselves struggling to answer without a tone of sarcasm or derision. Creativity is a character trait, which is innately part of an artist’s being and psyche. Like any other talent, creativity requires training, refining, and a lot of hard work. So, the more appropriate question would be, “What inspired this piece?” In most cases, inspiration comes from a moment in history or from everyday life or from our environment. Nature, including animals, is a big part of our environment and is found in all works of art.

Artists’ creativity has always been a part of human history. From the Stone Age to the Ice Age, Homo Sapiens had invented tools and weapons for hunting and gathering in a time when land bridges and colder climates determined nomadic paths. With the invention of tools, carving of figurines and painting of cave walls were also made possible. The artistic attention to details is as old as the human DNA. The cave people carved realistic figurines and decorative objects that could be carried with them from place to place. The cave paintings were painted by someone who was dedicated enough to use scaffolding to reach up to the high ceiling. What was left for discovery and awe were artistic representations of animals, nature, and daily activities. The visual ode to nature can be found in prehistoric artifacts and on cave walls.

As ancient civilizations of the Bronze and Iron Ages made sturdier tools and weapons, their artists also modified their creations. Everyday items like pots, helmets, and swords did not only meet functionality purposes but were also embellished with decorative metalwork. Metallurgy and stone inlays were found on jewelry and religious artifacts. While people had become less and less nomadic, their paintings and sculptures also became larger and more realistic. The Terra Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty and the sculptures of Greek gods and goddesses are examples of artistic mastery. Archeologists discovered frescos on the interiors of many surviving walls, which was a painting method that lasted far into the 1st century. Regardless of which medium an artist used, the subject of the piece was still found to have elements from nature, such as flowers, trees, animals, or stars, and scenes from everyday life, such as dancing, eating, and sporting events.

Many famous artists, from the Italian Renaissance to modernday Native America, have used nature and daily life to inspire their creations. Van Gogh painted irises and sunflowers, Faberge created eggs to resemble a tree, Hokusai painted the ocean waves, and Klimt painted “The Tree of Life.” Closer to home, RC Gorman painted women in their natural settings, Maria

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and Julian Martinez painted birds and snakes on their pots, Allan Houser sculptured larger-than-life statues, and Myron Panteah created unique jewelry by sawing out images of animals. For Native American artists, the connection to nature is as natural as breathing oxygen. Native American cultures have stories and mythologies in which nature and animals play significant roles. The Navajo culture, for example, emphasizes the mutual dependence between the Diné and the land. Many Native American artists have a deeper sense of harmony with Mother Earth, and their designs reflect or symbolize that harmonious relationship with nature.

Navajo Storm Pattern weavings are symbolic of the monsoon season, while the Tree of Life design pays homage to the abundance of spring growth and birds. More contemporary weavings, called pictorials, have vivid “pictures” of nature scenes or scenes from daily life or of a cultural event. Similarly, jewelry can have symbolic designs and realistic images with the use of various stones and metals. Common designs include the Squash Blossom, feathers, flowers, stars, and even traditional dancers. Inspiration from nature continues to be sculpted, painted, beaded, and fashioned. With the more varied contemporary designs, Native American art is now a study of its own. However, a trip to the museum is not required to appreciate art, go where the artists go—into nature.

In a different time and a different place, artists could explain that their creativity comes from the Muses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. For Native American art, perhaps creativity can be traced to myths and legends, whereas artistic inspiration for individual artwork is definitely connected to the world we live in. People react with amusement whenever we unexpectedly come across wildlife or blooming plants while traveling down the road, which is also the case when we see artwork with animals or landscapes or plants and trees. We are amused and then impressed with the craftsmanship. It is then conceivable that humans, throughout history, have been inspired to copy nature for the sake of enjoyment and not to impress archeologists.