Albert Looking Elk
Encyclopedia
Albert Looking Elk also known as Albert Martinez was a Taos Pueblo
painter. Looking Elk is one of the three Taos Pueblo Painters.
.
Albert Looking Elk was a model, initially reluctantly, to E. Irving Couse
, one of the Taos Society of Artists
founding members. He continued to model through his childhood and into adulthood; His wife and children also worked as models for artists. In 1900, he modeled for Oscar E. Berninghaus
, one of the founding members of Taos Society of Artists. By 1915, after receiving a Christmas present of paints and brushes and painting lessons from Berninghaus, Looking Elk began his own art career.
Looking Elk was elected Governor of Taos Pueblo in 1938.
, and Juan Mirabal
have been identified as the "Three Taos Pueblo" painters. As the Taos art colony
grew, these men studied oil and water color painting and made works of art of their community, told from a Native American perspective. An exhibition of their work "Three Pueblo Painters" was held at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos in 2003.
Located in a tributary valley off the Rio Grande
, Taos Pueblo
is the most northern of the New Mexico
pueblo
s. For nearly a millennium
, the Taos Indians have lived here. It is estimated that the pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 CE, with some later expansion. The Taos Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States
. The Pueblo, at some places five stories high, is a combination of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos pueblo community. Some of them have more modern homes near their fields and stay at their homes on the pueblo during cooler weather. There are about 150 people who live at the pueblo year-around. The Taos Pueblo was added as an UNESCO World Heritage Site
in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks in the world; Other sites include the Taj Mahal
, Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon
in the United States.
For centuries, Pueblo painters have painted in tempera, clay slips, and earth pigments on woven textiles, interior walls, ceramics, and hides Looking Elk, Albert Lujan, and Juan Mirabal adopted and mastered European painting materials and techniques.
, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists
. The July 16, 1918 edition of the Taos Valley News said of him: "Taos has a native artist... Albert [Looking Elk] Martinez of the Pueblo... He has painted a number of pictures of merit, several of which he has been able to sell at a fair price." Like other beginning artists, at first Looking Elk made just a few dollars on his paintings, but he was so successful that he soon purchased a Studebaker. He was the first Taos Pueblo tribal member to purchase an automobile.
. He was also influenced by the style of the Santa Fe Indian School, reflected in several of his works. Between 1923 and 1930 Looking Elk showed his work several times at the Museum of Fine Arts
in Santa Fe, earning an art award during his first showing. His use of light and color has helped to make his artwork successful; however, Looking Elk's successful adoption of European painting techniques "offended many White collectors and curators of the day."
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
painter. Looking Elk is one of the three Taos Pueblo Painters.
Background
Albert, the son of José R. Martínez, was commonly known by his Taos name, T'o'nu, meaning "Looking Elk." He was born around 1888 in Taos Pueblo, New MexicoTaos Pueblo, New Mexico
Taos Pueblo is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is north of Taos. The population was 1,264 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Taos Pueblo is located at...
.
Albert Looking Elk was a model, initially reluctantly, to E. Irving Couse
E. Irving Couse
Eanger Irving Couse was an American artist and a founding member and first president of the Taos Society of Artists. He is noted for paintings of Native Americans, New Mexico, and the American Southwest...
, one of the Taos Society of Artists
Taos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
founding members. He continued to model through his childhood and into adulthood; His wife and children also worked as models for artists. In 1900, he modeled for Oscar E. Berninghaus
Oscar E. Berninghaus
-Further reading:*Sanders, Gordon E. Oscar E. Berninghaus, Taos, New Mexico: Master Painter of American Indians and the Frontier West. Taos Heritage Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-9615-1771-9-External links:* * Paintings* *...
, one of the founding members of Taos Society of Artists. By 1915, after receiving a Christmas present of paints and brushes and painting lessons from Berninghaus, Looking Elk began his own art career.
Looking Elk was elected Governor of Taos Pueblo in 1938.
Three Taos Pueblo painters
Albert Looking Elk, Albert LujanAlbert Lujan
Albert Lujan , also known as Xenaiua meaning "Weasel Arrow," was a genre and landscape painter from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.-Three Taos Pueblo painters:...
, and Juan Mirabal
Juan Mirabal
Juan Mirabal , also known as "Tapaiu" or Red Dancer, was an artist from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.-Three Taos Pueblo painters:Albert Looking Elk, Albert Lujan, and Juan Mirabal have been identified as the "Three Taos Pueblo" painters...
have been identified as the "Three Taos Pueblo" painters. As the Taos art colony
Taos art colony
The Taos art colony is an art colony founded in Taos, New Mexico by artists attracted by the rich culture of the Taos Pueblo and beautiful landscape. Hispanic craftsmanship of furniture, tin work and more played a role in creating a multicultural tradition of art work in the area.In 1898 a visit...
grew, these men studied oil and water color painting and made works of art of their community, told from a Native American perspective. An exhibition of their work "Three Pueblo Painters" was held at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos in 2003.
Taos Pueblo
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
is the most northern of the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
pueblo
Pueblo
Pueblo is a term used to describe modern communities of Native Americans in the Southwestern United States of America. The first Spanish explorers of the Southwest used this term to describe the communities housed in apartment-like structures built of stone, adobe mud, and other local material...
s. For nearly a millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
, the Taos Indians have lived here. It is estimated that the pueblo was built between 1000 and 1450 CE, with some later expansion. The Taos Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Pueblo, at some places five stories high, is a combination of many individual homes with common walls. There are over 1,900 people in the Taos pueblo community. Some of them have more modern homes near their fields and stay at their homes on the pueblo during cooler weather. There are about 150 people who live at the pueblo year-around. The Taos Pueblo was added as an UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks in the world; Other sites include the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
, Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, the 15th national park in the United States...
in the United States.
For centuries, Pueblo painters have painted in tempera, clay slips, and earth pigments on woven textiles, interior walls, ceramics, and hides Looking Elk, Albert Lujan, and Juan Mirabal adopted and mastered European painting materials and techniques.
The beginning of his artistic career
Looking Elk took art lessons and by 1917 received his first set of painting equipment of oils, easel, brushes and canvas from Oscar E. BerninghausOscar E. Berninghaus
-Further reading:*Sanders, Gordon E. Oscar E. Berninghaus, Taos, New Mexico: Master Painter of American Indians and the Frontier West. Taos Heritage Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN 0-9615-1771-9-External links:* * Paintings* *...
, a founding member of the Taos Society of Artists
Taos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
. The July 16, 1918 edition of the Taos Valley News said of him: "Taos has a native artist... Albert [Looking Elk] Martinez of the Pueblo... He has painted a number of pictures of merit, several of which he has been able to sell at a fair price." Like other beginning artists, at first Looking Elk made just a few dollars on his paintings, but he was so successful that he soon purchased a Studebaker. He was the first Taos Pueblo tribal member to purchase an automobile.
Professional career
Looking Elk's primary source of inspiration and subjects were the Taos Pueblo. He featured the north building of the pueblo, often painting it from the village plaza. His works were realistic, as opposed to the romanticized compositions of the Taos Society of ArtistsTaos Society of Artists
The Taos Society of Artists was an organization of visual arts founded in Taos, New Mexico in 1915; it disbanded in 1927. The Society was essentially a commercial cooperative, as opposed to a stylistic collective, and its foundation contributed to the development of the tiny Taos art colony into...
. He was also influenced by the style of the Santa Fe Indian School, reflected in several of his works. Between 1923 and 1930 Looking Elk showed his work several times at the Museum of Fine Arts
New Mexico Museum of Art
The New Mexico Museum of Art , the oldest art museum in the state of New Mexico, is one of four state-run museums in Santa Fe...
in Santa Fe, earning an art award during his first showing. His use of light and color has helped to make his artwork successful; however, Looking Elk's successful adoption of European painting techniques "offended many White collectors and curators of the day."
Death
Albert Looking Elk died at Taos Pueblo on November 30, 1940, or as some sources list, 1941.Further reading
- Flynn, Kathryn A. (1994). Treasures on New Mexico trails: discover New Deal art and architecture. Sunstone Press. ISBN 978-0865342361.
- Nickens, P; Nickens, K (2008). Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-4836-4.