Helen Hardin
Encyclopedia
Helen Hardin (also known as Tsa-sah-wee-eh, which means "Little Standing Spruce") was an American painter.
, the daughter of Santa Clara Pueblo artist, Pablita Velarde
and Herbert Hardin, the Former Chief of Public Safety, State Department. Her first language was Tewa
.
and Ancestral Pueblo figures and kachina
forms and masks, of which her 1981 self-portrait Metamorphosis is an example.
at the age of 41. Her daughter, Margarete Bagshaw
, is a painter and owns a gallery in downtown Santa Fe that features the work of Helen Hardin, Pablita Velarde
and Margarete Bagshaw. The gallery is the Exclusive Estate Representative of both Helen Hardin and Pablita Velarde.
Background
She was born in Albuquerque, New MexicoNew 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...
, the daughter of Santa Clara Pueblo artist, Pablita Velarde
Pablita Velarde
Pablita Velarde born Tse Tsan was an American painter.-Early life:After the death of her mother when Pablita was about five years old, she and two of her sisters were sent to St Catherine's Indian School in Santa Fe...
and Herbert Hardin, the Former Chief of Public Safety, State Department. Her first language was Tewa
Tewa language
Tewa is a Kiowa–Tanoan language spoken by Pueblo people, mostly in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico north of Santa Fe. The 1980 census counted 1,298 speakers, almost all of whom are bilingual in English...
.
Artwork
Hardin's early artistic works were characterized as traditionally realistic, or, in her words, "cute little Indian paintings." However, as her work rapidly matured and gained confidence, she became known for painting complex works that combined colorful images and symbols from her Native American heritage with modern abstract art techniques. Her work frequently incorporated MimbresMimbres
Mimbres may refer to:* Mimbres culture , a subdivision of Mogollon culture* Mimbres pottery, a particular style of pottery decoration from the Mimbres culture* Mimbres Valley AVA, an American Viticultural Area in southwestern New Mexico...
and Ancestral Pueblo figures and kachina
Kachina
A kachina is a spirit being in western Pueblo cosmology and religious practices. The western Pueblo, Native American cultures located in the southwestern United States, include Hopi, Zuni, Tewa Village , Acoma Pueblo, and Laguna Pueblo. The kachina cult has spread to more eastern Pueblos, e.g....
forms and masks, of which her 1981 self-portrait Metamorphosis is an example.
Honors
A major breakthrough in her early career was a solo exhibition in Bogota, Colombia, in which she sold 27 paintings.Death and legacy
Helen died of breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
at the age of 41. Her daughter, Margarete Bagshaw
Margarete Bagshaw
Margarete Bagshaw is an American artist. She is the daughter of artist Helen Hardin and grand daughter of artist Pablita Velarde. Together, they form one of the only three generational female painting dynasties known...
, is a painter and owns a gallery in downtown Santa Fe that features the work of Helen Hardin, Pablita Velarde
Pablita Velarde
Pablita Velarde born Tse Tsan was an American painter.-Early life:After the death of her mother when Pablita was about five years old, she and two of her sisters were sent to St Catherine's Indian School in Santa Fe...
and Margarete Bagshaw. The gallery is the Exclusive Estate Representative of both Helen Hardin and Pablita Velarde.
Further reading
- Jay Scott, Changing Woman: The Life and Art of Helen Hardin, Northland Publishing, 1989, ISBN 0-87358-489-9 (hardcover), ISBN 0-87358-567-4 (softcover)