Albert Harjo
Encyclopedia
Albert Harjo was born on September 25, 1937, deep within the Muscogee (Creek
) Nation in the rural area of Hanna
, Oklahoma
. He is fullblood Muscogee. Albert attended Jones Academy, Hartshorne, Oklahoma
then later Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
, just north of Ponca City, Oklahoma
. After graduating from Chilocco, Albert enlisted and served in the United States Marine Corps
.
Albert's subject matter derives from his own life experiences as well those of neighbors, friends and family. Albert paints in the very unforgiving style considered by most disciples of Native American art as traditional or Bacone style, as established by Southeast tribal artists active at Bacone College
. There is no erasing or covering up. His paintings use colors and multiple contour lines to define figues and shapes, as opposed to three-dimensional perspective or shading. He works in tempera
and watercolor.
He has shown his work at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Red Earth, and the Creek Indian Council House and Museum
, and the Philbrook Museum of Art
. He has also contributed his art work for causes such as the Red Cross and Native American bone marrow recruitment. Albert's award-winning, traditional art can be found in museums, galleries and private collections throughout Eastern Oklahoma, United States and abroad.
Creek people
The Muscogee , also known as the Creek or Creeks, are a Native American people traditionally from the southeastern United States. Mvskoke is their name in traditional spelling. The modern Muscogee live primarily in Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida...
) Nation in the rural area of Hanna
Hanna, Oklahoma
Hanna is a town in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 133 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hanna is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. He is fullblood Muscogee. Albert attended Jones Academy, Hartshorne, Oklahoma
Hartshorne, Oklahoma
Hartshorne is a city in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,102 at the 2000 census. Baseball player Warren Spahn is buried here. Currently, serving as Mayor is Mark Day.-Geography:...
then later Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco Indian Agricultural School
Chilocco Indian School was an agricultural school for Native Americans located in north-central Oklahoma from 1884 to 1980. It was located approximately 20 miles north of Ponca City, Oklahoma and seven miles north of Newkirk, Oklahoma, near the Kansas border....
, just north of Ponca City, Oklahoma
Ponca City, Oklahoma
Ponca City is a small city in Kay and Osage counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, which was named after the Ponca Tribe. Located in north central Oklahoma, it lies approximately south of the Kansas border, and approximately east of Interstate 35. 25,919 people called Ponca City home at the...
. After graduating from Chilocco, Albert enlisted and served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
Albert's subject matter derives from his own life experiences as well those of neighbors, friends and family. Albert paints in the very unforgiving style considered by most disciples of Native American art as traditional or Bacone style, as established by Southeast tribal artists active at Bacone College
Bacone College
Bacone College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Founded in 1880 as the Indian University by Almon C. Bacone, Bacone College is the oldest continuously operated institution of higher education in Oklahoma...
. There is no erasing or covering up. His paintings use colors and multiple contour lines to define figues and shapes, as opposed to three-dimensional perspective or shading. He works in tempera
Tempera
Tempera, also known as egg tempera, is a permanent fast-drying painting medium consisting of colored pigment mixed with a water-soluble binder medium . Tempera also refers to the paintings done in this medium. Tempera paintings are very long lasting, and examples from the 1st centuries AD still exist...
and watercolor.
He has shown his work at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum, Red Earth, and the Creek Indian Council House and Museum
Creek National Capitol
Creek National Capitol, also known as Creek Council House, is a building in downtown Okmulgee, Oklahoma. It was capitol of the Muscogee Nation nation from 1878 to 1907, when Oklahoma became a state. In 1919 the U.S...
, and the Philbrook Museum of Art
Philbrook Museum of Art
The Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma is an art museum and former home of Oklahoma oil pioneer Waite Phillips and his wife Genevieve Phillips. , the museum has a staff of 60 and an operating budget of nearly $6 million....
. He has also contributed his art work for causes such as the Red Cross and Native American bone marrow recruitment. Albert's award-winning, traditional art can be found in museums, galleries and private collections throughout Eastern Oklahoma, United States and abroad.