Marcus Amerman
Encyclopedia
Marcus Amerman is an award-winning Choctaw
bead
artist, glass art
ist, painter, fashion designer, and performance art
ist, living north of Santa Fe, New Mexico
. He is known for his highly realistic beadwork portraits.
in 1959 but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Whitman College
in Walla Walla, Washington. He also studied at the College of Santa Fe, the Institute of American Indian Arts
, and the Anthropology Film Center.
Amerman's first foray into realism in beadwork was his 1993 Iron Horse Jacket, a studded leather jacket featuring a highly detailed and modeled image of Brooke Shields in beadwork. Later, he added portrait bracelets to his repertoire. He has portrayed many historical heroes in his beadwork, such as Lloyd Kiva New, as well a pop icons, such as Janet Jackson, and imagery inspired by comic superheroes is a current running throughout his work.
His paintings are expressive and often reflect his Choctaw roots, with Mississippian imagery. His work in glass also include Mississippian ceramic designs, but more often reflects contemporary designs, such as globes of the earth.
, the American Museum of Natural History
, the Heard Museum
, the Portland Art Museum
, the Sequoyah National Research Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Museum of Arts and Design. He is the only artist to have his beadwork featured in Playboy
magazine.
In 2008, Amerman was a Hauberg Fellow at the Pilchuck Glass School
and artist-of-residence there in 2008. He and Tlingit artist Preston Singletary
both taught at the school in 2006 as part of Iconoglass.
is renowned for her printmaking and painting, as was her brother and Amerman's cousin, the late Dan Lomahaftewa.
Choctaw
The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...
bead
Bead
A bead is a small, decorative object that is usually pierced for threading or stringing. Beads range in size from under to over in diameter. A pair of beads made from Nassarius sea snail shells, approximately 100,000 years old, are thought to be the earliest known examples of jewellery. Beadwork...
artist, glass art
Glass art
Studio glass or glass sculpture is the modern use of glass as an artistic medium to produce sculptures or three-dimensional artworks. Specific approaches include working glass at room temperature cold working, stained glass, working glass in a torch flame , glass beadmaking, glass casting, glass...
ist, painter, fashion designer, and performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
ist, living north of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. He is known for his highly realistic beadwork portraits.
Background
Marcus Amerman was born in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in 1959 but grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
in Walla Walla, Washington. He also studied at the College of Santa Fe, the Institute of American Indian Arts
Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts is a college focused on Native American art. It is situated in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is congressionally chartered, and was created by an executive order of former American President John F. Kennedy in 1962...
, and the Anthropology Film Center.
Artwork
His exploration of so many different genres of art overlap each other. For instance Amerman's beadwork is integrated into clothing design. His outfits are featured in his performance art. His paintings and glass work use a vivid palette that is found in his beadwork. He has even create giant beads out of glass.Amerman's first foray into realism in beadwork was his 1993 Iron Horse Jacket, a studded leather jacket featuring a highly detailed and modeled image of Brooke Shields in beadwork. Later, he added portrait bracelets to his repertoire. He has portrayed many historical heroes in his beadwork, such as Lloyd Kiva New, as well a pop icons, such as Janet Jackson, and imagery inspired by comic superheroes is a current running throughout his work.
His paintings are expressive and often reflect his Choctaw roots, with Mississippian imagery. His work in glass also include Mississippian ceramic designs, but more often reflects contemporary designs, such as globes of the earth.
Honors
Amerman's work is in such public collections as the George Gustav Heye Center, the National Museum of the American IndianNational Museum of the American Indian
The 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...
, the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
, 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....
, the Portland Art Museum
Portland Art Museum
The 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...
, the Sequoyah National Research Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Museum of Arts and Design. He is the only artist to have his beadwork featured in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine.
In 2008, Amerman was a Hauberg Fellow at the 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 artist-of-residence there in 2008. He and Tlingit artist Preston Singletary
Preston Singletary
Preston Singletary is a Native American glass artist.- Biography :Preston Singletary grew up in the Seattle area listening to stories told by his great-grandparents, who were both full Tlingit. In high school he met and became friends with future glass artist Dante Marioni, son of glass artist...
both taught at the school in 2006 as part of Iconoglass.
Personal
Amerman's brother, Roger Amerman, is also an award-winning beadworker, specialized in traditional southeast designs. Their first cousin, Linda LomahaftewaLinda Lomahaftewa
Linda Lomahaftewa is a Hopi and Choctaw printmaker, painter, and educator living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.-Background:Linda J. Lomahaftewa was born July 3, 1947 in Phoenix, Arizona. Her parents had met at an Indian boarding school. Her late father was Hopi, her mother, who lives in Arizona, is...
is renowned for her printmaking and painting, as was her brother and Amerman's cousin, the late Dan Lomahaftewa.
Quote
Traditionally, Indians embraced new materials with which to create and new ideas to express.