Indian Group of Seven

The Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation, better known as the Indian Group of Seven, was a group of professional First Nations artists from Canada, founded in November 1973.

The group consisted of Daphne Odjig, Alex Janvier, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez.

History

In 1972, there was a joint exhibition in Winnipeg of Jackson Beardy, Alex Janvier and Daphne Odjig named "Treaty Numbers 23, 287 and 1171" referring to the Numbered Treaties of their respective bands. It was an exhibition where indigenous modern art was brought in front to the Canadian audience, for artistic recognition.

The successful exhibition was the precursor of the foundation of the “Professional Native Indian Artists Association” in November 1973, in which Daphne Odjig was the driving force. At her home in Winnipeg, she invited Alex Janvier, Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morrisseau, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez to discuss their mutual concerns about art. These meetings provided a sense of community among the artists and a forum for criticism of their work. It resulted in November 1973 into a proposal to formalise their movement into the “Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporation (PNIAI)”, funded by the Department of Indian Affairs. PNIAI was incorporated in February 1974 by all seven members. Haida artist Bill Reid, although not formally signing on at the time, was considered the eighth member and participated in some of the groups shows.[1]

The group was better known as the “Indian Group of Seven”. The informal name was given to them by Winnipeg Free Press reporter Gary Scherbain referring to the highly esteemed “Group of Seven” who painted Canadian landscapes in an impressionistic style in the 1920s.

The “Indian Group of Seven” had many joint exhibitions in Canada. The last in which all participated was in Montreal in 1975. The group disbanded in 1975.

Political and social ideals

Beside combined forces to promote Indian art into the Western art world, they had strong Ideals to a change the way the world looked at their art. They wanted a shift from an emphasis on “Indigenous (Native)” to “artistic” value and recognition. Their objectives where:

These were high ideals in a time where native Indians had only recently been given voting rights and in which they politically fought for human rights. With these ideals, they were part of a movement which also included the "Triple K Co-operative Incorporated”, a Native-run silk-screen organisation which established around the same time.

Although the group as a whole was briefly together, the fact that they did exist was a crucial step in the development of the concept of Indigenous Indian art as part of the Canadian cultural art world. The existence of the group has paved the way for younger generations.

References

  1. ↑ Joseph Sanchez, "The Indian Group of Seven - The formation of Professional Native Artists, Inc.", Witness: a symposium on the Woodland School, Sudbury, 2007.

External links

General references