Joe Feddersen
Encyclopedia
Joe Feddersen is a Colville
sculptor, painter, photographer and mixed-media artist. He is known for creating artworks strong in geometric patterns reflective of what is seen in the environment, landscape and his Native American
heritage.
father and an Okanagan
/Sinixt mother.
He was first exposed to printmaking at Wenatchee Valley College
under the direction of artist Robert Graves.
Feddersen earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking
from the University of Washington
in 1983 where he studied under artists Michael Spafford and Glen Alps
. In 1989 he obtained his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following his Masters he became an art instructor at Evergreen State College.
. In 2009 he left his teaching position at Evergreen State College and returned to Omak, Washington
, his hometown. While occasionally teaching at Evergreen, he has been focusing on exploring the medium glass and has become involved with Pilchuck Glass School
and the Museum of Glass
.
Feddersen's early creations involved photography and collage self-portrait
s in the early 1980s, reflecting on the individual and the environment surrounding self. However, his first major work was "Rainscape"; a series of lithographs that were exhibited at the Heard Museum
's 3rd Biennial Native American Fine Art Invitational.
Through "Rainscape" Feddersen incorporated blended colors to form a rain
like landscape, reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest
environment. This series launched Feddersen into the major contemporary art world; artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith
compared his use of color to Mark Rothko
and Seattle Times art critic Deloris Tarzan Ament reflected on the woodblock
works of Hiroshige
when reviewing the works.
and Pendleton Woolen Mills
. Heavy in geometry and layers and blended colors, the series were described by art scholar W. Jackson Rushing III as "watery veils of color", which brought out further comparisons to Rothko.
With the series "Plateau Geometrics" Feddersen continued to create prints during the latter half of the 1990s. All of the prints in the series are one of a kind (instead of an edition) and incorporate techniques such as etching
, drypoint
, aquatint
, blind embossing and linocut
s. The prints feature a pattern of geometric forms over a gridded layout; some are flat while others have a highly textured appearance. According to the artist the works represent his homesickness
and memories of living on the reservation. At the time of creation he was living and working in Seattle, on the opposite side of the Cascade Mountains that serve to separate Colville country from Seattle. The geometric patterns represent designs seen in Colville basketry and cornhusk bags, while the complete series expresses Feddersen's desire to reflect on his communities traditional culture and his modern art background.
. And recently his work has focused on glass making. Drawing influence from designs seen in Plateau Indian art, he creates artworks showing repeating patterns, leaving them with titles such as Cul-de-Sac, Scaffolding and Tire, a critique on contemporary life with a touch of tradition from Colville basketry.
2006
2005
2003
2002
2001
1991
1987
1986
1984
Feddersen's work has also shown in numerous private galleries as well as other public institutions such as the Whatcom Museum of History and Art
, Simon Fraser University
, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
, Shoreline Community College
, among others.
His work is also seen in the collections of the cities of Portland
, Seattle and Ephrata, Washington
.
Colville (tribe)
The Colville tribe is a Native American tribe of the Pacific Northwest. The name Colville comes from association with Fort Colville, named after Andrew Colvile of the Hudson's Bay Company...
sculptor, painter, photographer and mixed-media artist. He is known for creating artworks strong in geometric patterns reflective of what is seen in the environment, landscape and his Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
heritage.
Early life and higher education
Joe Feddersen was born in Washington state to a German AmericanGerman American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
father and an Okanagan
Okanagan people
The Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington state and British Columbia...
/Sinixt mother.
He was first exposed to printmaking at Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee Valley College
Wenatchee Valley College, or WVC, is a two-year Community College located in Wenatchee, Washington. The college provides students with adult education classes, certifications, and 2-year Associates Degree. WVC's primary service district is one of the largest in the state, serving an area larger...
under the direction of artist Robert Graves.
Feddersen earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1983 where he studied under artists Michael Spafford and Glen Alps
Glen Alps
Glen Alps was a printmaker and educator who is credited with having developed the collagraph. A collagraph is a print whose plate is a board or other substrate onto which textured materials are glued. The plate may be inked for printing in either the intaglio or the relief manner and then printed...
. In 1989 he obtained his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Following his Masters he became an art instructor at Evergreen State College.
Current life
When not creating art or teaching, Feddersen also serves as a writer, curator, consultant and active member of the Colville Confederated Tribal Arts & Humanities BoardColville Indian Reservation
The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...
. In 2009 he left his teaching position at Evergreen State College and returned to Omak, Washington
Omak, Washington
Omak is the largest city in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,721 at the 2010 census. It is just south of the Canadian border where more populated cities are located ....
, his hometown. While occasionally teaching at Evergreen, he has been focusing on exploring the medium glass and has become involved with Pilchuck Glass School
Pilchuck Glass School
Founded in 1971 by Dale Chihuly, Anne Gould Hauberg and John H. Hauberg , Pilchuck Glass School is an international center for glass art education. The name "Pilchuck" comes from the local Native American language and translates to "red river"...
and the Museum of Glass
Museum of Glass
The Museum of Glass is a museum dedicated to the medium of glass art located in Tacoma, Washington. It is not to be confused with the various other Museums of Glass, such as the one in Corning, New York, as the museum focuses on Contemporary and Pacific Northwest glass-art.The museum, the...
.
Early work
My prints and mixed media work explore personal perceptions of my surroundings...Earlier prints become the departure for new work. They incorporate printing techniques and the addition of staples, pins, mirrors, oil pastels and acrylics o achieve a rich surface quality white retaining luminosity of previous layers. - 1987
Feddersen's early creations involved photography and collage self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
s in the early 1980s, reflecting on the individual and the environment surrounding self. However, his first major work was "Rainscape"; a series of lithographs that were exhibited at the Heard Museum
Heard Museum
The Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There is also the Heard Museum North Scottsdale branch in Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West branch in Surprise....
's 3rd Biennial Native American Fine Art Invitational.
Through "Rainscape" Feddersen incorporated blended colors to form a rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
like landscape, reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
environment. This series launched Feddersen into the major contemporary art world; artists such as Jaune Quick-to-See Smith
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith
Jaune Quick-To-See Smith is a Native American contemporary artist. Notably her work is held in the collections of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Museum of Modern Art in New York City.- Biography :Born in 1940...
compared his use of color to Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko
Mark Rothko, born Marcus Rothkowitz , was a Russian-born American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an "abstract painter".- Childhood :Mark Rothko was born in Dvinsk, Vitebsk Province, Russian...
and Seattle Times art critic Deloris Tarzan Ament reflected on the woodblock
Woodblock
Woodblock may refer to:* The wood block, a percussion instrument* A woodblock or woodcut is used in woodblock printing, a method of printing in which an image is carved into the surface of a piece of wood, which is then inked, and the image is stamped onto a page* Woodblock graffiti is a type of...
works of Hiroshige
Hiroshige
was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Andō Hiroshige and by the art name of Ichiyūsai Hiroshige ....
when reviewing the works.
Printwork
In the early 1990s Feddersen created a series of monoprints based on blanket designs of the Plains IndiansPlains Indians
The Plains Indians are the Indigenous peoples who live on the plains and rolling hills of the Great Plains of North America. Their colorful equestrian culture and resistance to White domination have made the Plains Indians an archetype in literature and art for American Indians everywhere.Plains...
and Pendleton Woolen Mills
Pendleton Woolen Mills
Pendleton Woolen Mills is an American apparel manufacturing company located in Portland, Oregon, United States.-Company origins:The company’s roots began in 1863 when Thomas L. Kay made a transcontinental trek to the west coast and began working in the woolen mills in Oregon. He went on to opened...
. Heavy in geometry and layers and blended colors, the series were described by art scholar W. Jackson Rushing III as "watery veils of color", which brought out further comparisons to Rothko.
With the series "Plateau Geometrics" Feddersen continued to create prints during the latter half of the 1990s. All of the prints in the series are one of a kind (instead of an edition) and incorporate techniques such as etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
, drypoint
Drypoint
Drypoint is a printmaking technique of the intaglio family, in which an image is incised into a plate with a hard-pointed "needle" of sharp metal or diamond point. Traditionally the plate was copper, but now acetate, zinc, or plexiglas are also commonly used...
, aquatint
Aquatint
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching.Intaglio printmaking makes marks on the matrix that are capable of holding ink. The inked plate is passed through a printing press together with a sheet of paper, resulting in a transfer of the ink to the paper...
, blind embossing and linocut
Linocut
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised areas representing a reversal of the parts to show printed...
s. The prints feature a pattern of geometric forms over a gridded layout; some are flat while others have a highly textured appearance. According to the artist the works represent his homesickness
Homesickness
Homesickness is the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from the specific home environment or attachment objects....
and memories of living on the reservation. At the time of creation he was living and working in Seattle, on the opposite side of the Cascade Mountains that serve to separate Colville country from Seattle. The geometric patterns represent designs seen in Colville basketry and cornhusk bags, while the complete series expresses Feddersen's desire to reflect on his communities traditional culture and his modern art background.
Sculpture and basketry
Basketry entered into his catalog in the 2000s, learning Plateau-style techniques from poet and artist Elizabeth WoodyElizabeth Woody
Elizabeth Woody is a Navajo-Warm Springs-Wasco-Yakama artist, author, and educator.-Background:Elizabeth Woody was born in Ganado, Arizona in 1959. She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in Oregon. She is born for Tódích'íinii...
. And recently his work has focused on glass making. Drawing influence from designs seen in Plateau Indian art, he creates artworks showing repeating patterns, leaving them with titles such as Cul-de-Sac, Scaffolding and Tire, a critique on contemporary life with a touch of tradition from Colville basketry.
Major exhibitions
2010- Across Cultures: Fifty Objects from the Macy Collection, Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
- Infinity of Nations, National Museum of the American Indian, New York.
- Joe Feddersen: Vital Signs, Hallie Ford Museum of ArtHallie Ford Museum of ArtThe Hallie Ford Museum of Art is the museum of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is the third largest art museum in Oregon. Opened in 1998, the facility is across the street from the Oregon State Capital in downtown Salem, on the western edge of the school campus...
2006
- Made at the Museum: Northwest Selections, Museum of GlassMuseum of GlassThe Museum of Glass is a museum dedicated to the medium of glass art located in Tacoma, Washington. It is not to be confused with the various other Museums of Glass, such as the one in Corning, New York, as the museum focuses on Contemporary and Pacific Northwest glass-art.The museum, the...
2005
- Art Objects, Portland International AirportPortland International AirportPortland International Airport is a joint civil-military airport and the largest airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, accounting for 90% of passenger travel and more than 95% of air cargo of the state. It is located within Portland's city limits just south of the Columbia River in Multnomah...
- Changing Hands 2: Art Without Reservation, Museum of Arts & Design
- Land Mark, Northwest Museum of Arts and CultureNorthwest Museum of Arts and CultureThe Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, formerly the Cheney Cowles Museum, is located in Spokane, Washington's Browne's Addition. It is associated with the Smithsonian Institution and is accredited by the American Association of Museums....
2003
- Continuum, National Museum of the American IndianNational Museum of the American IndianThe National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
2002
- Lasting Impressions, Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
2001
- After the Storm, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
1991
- Our Land/Ourselves, University at Albany, SUNYUniversity at Albany, SUNYThe State University of New York at Albany, also known as University at Albany, State University of New York, SUNY Albany or simply UAlbany, is a public university located in Albany, Guilderland, and East Greenbush, New York, United States; is the senior campus of the State University of New York ...
1987
- 3rd Biennial Native American Fine Art Invitational, Heard MuseumHeard MuseumThe Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There is also the Heard Museum North Scottsdale branch in Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West branch in Surprise....
1986
- New Directions/Northwest, Portland Art MuseumPortland Art MuseumThe Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it the oldest art museum on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the United States. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum became one of the twenty-five largest art museums in...
1984
- No Beads, No Trinkets, Palais des NationsPalais des NationsThe Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, was built between 1929 and 1936 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. It has served as the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva since 1946 when the Secretary General of the UN signed a Headquarters Agreement with the Swiss...
Feddersen's work has also shown in numerous private galleries as well as other public institutions such as the Whatcom Museum of History and Art
Whatcom Museum of History and Art
The Whatcom Museum of History and Art was originally built in 1892 as the city hall for the former town of New Whatcom, before it was joined with surrounding towns to form Bellingham, Washington. The building was designed in a Late Victorian style by Alfred Lee, a local architect, who used red...
, Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is a museum devoted to Native American arts. It is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico and was founded in 1937 by Mary Cabot Wheelwright, who came from Boston, and Hastiin Klah, a Navajo singer and medicine man....
, Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College
Shoreline Community College is a community college in Shoreline, north of Seattle, Washington. It is located in a residential area east of Shoreview Park. The college contains 83 acres and continuously serves 12,000 full and part-time students....
, among others.
Notable collections
- Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
- Hallie Ford Museum of ArtHallie Ford Museum of ArtThe Hallie Ford Museum of Art is the museum of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. It is the third largest art museum in Oregon. Opened in 1998, the facility is across the street from the Oregon State Capital in downtown Salem, on the western edge of the school campus...
- Harborview Medical CenterHarborview Medical CenterHarborview Medical Center, located on Seattle's First Hill, is a public hospital in King County, Washington and is managed by UW Medicine.-Overview:...
- Heard MuseumHeard MuseumThe Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a museum located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. There is also the Heard Museum North Scottsdale branch in Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West branch in Surprise....
- Johnson & Johnson Corporation
- Kaiser Sunnyside Medical CenterKaiser Sunnyside Medical CenterKaiser Sunnyside Medical Center is a not-for-profit, general care hospital in the Sunnyside area of Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1975, the Kaiser Permanente owned facility is licensed for 233 hospital beds. Located in the Portland metropolitan area along Interstate 205 on...
- Merril Lynch
- Microsoft Corporation
- National Museum of the American IndianNational Museum of the American IndianThe National Museum of the American Indian is a museum operated under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution that is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the native Americans of the Western Hemisphere...
- Northwest Museum of Arts and CultureNorthwest Museum of Arts and CultureThe Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture, formerly the Cheney Cowles Museum, is located in Spokane, Washington's Browne's Addition. It is associated with the Smithsonian Institution and is accredited by the American Association of Museums....
- Pacific Northwest BellPacific Northwest BellPacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was an AT&T majority-owned Bell System company that provided local telecommunications services in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho. Pacific Northwest Bell Telephone Company was formed on July 1, 1961 when it was spun off from the Pacific Telephone and...
- Portland Art MuseumPortland Art MuseumThe Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon, United States, was founded in 1892, making it the oldest art museum on the West Coast and seventh oldest in the United States. Upon completion of the most recent renovations, the Portland Art Museum became one of the twenty-five largest art museums in...
- Seattle Art MuseumSeattle Art MuseumThe Seattle Art Museum is an art museum located in Seattle, Washington, USA. It maintains three major facilities: its main museum in downtown Seattle; the Seattle Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill, and the Olympic Sculpture Park on the central Seattle waterfront, which opened on...
- Tacoma Art MuseumTacoma Art MuseumIn May 2003, Tacoma Art Museum opened a new facility twice the size of its previous home, allowing the museum to expand on its vision and mission. American Institute of Architects AIA Gold Medal winner Antoine Predock designed the building located in the heart of Tacoma’s Cultural District...
- University of HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiThe University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
- University of Western SydneyUniversity of Western SydneyThe University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- U.S. Department of the Interior
- U.S. Department of State
- Whitney Museum of American ArtWhitney Museum of American ArtThe Whitney Museum of American Art, often referred to simply as "the Whitney", is an art museum with a focus on 20th- and 21st-century American art. Located at 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street in New York City, the Whitney's permanent collection contains more than 18,000 works in a wide variety of...
His work is also seen in the collections of the cities of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Seattle and Ephrata, Washington
Ephrata, Washington
Ephrata is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 6,808 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Grant County.-History:...
.
Notable awards
- John H. Hauberg Fellowship, 2009, Pilchuck Glass School
- Eiteljorg Native American Fine Art Fellowship, 2001, Eiteljorg Museum
Further reading
- Allan, Lois. Contemporary Printmaking in the Northwest. Fine Art Publishing, 1997. ISBN 9057031310
- Dobkins, Rebecca J., Barbara Earl Thomas & Gail Tremblay. Vital Signs. University of Washington Press, 2008. ISBN 0295988606
- Kangas, Matthew. Craft & Concept: The Rematerialization of the Art Object. Midmarch Arts Press, 2008. ISBN 1877675563
- Lippard, Lucy. Mixed Blessings: New Art in a Multicultural America. New Press, 2000. ISBN 1565845730
- Longfish, George & David Penney. Native American Art. Universe, 1999. ISBN 0883634791
- Mcmaster, Gerald & Clifford Trafzer. Native Universe: Voices of Indian America. National Geographic, 2004. ISBN 0792259947
- Penn, W.S. The Telling of the World: Native American Stories and Art. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1996. ISBN 1556704887
- Rushing III, W. Jackson. Native American Art in the Twentieth Century: Makers, Meanings, Histories. Routledge, 1999. ISBN 0415137489
External links
- Joe Feddersen, Vision Project, by Mique'l Askren