Frieze New York 2018

Donald Ellis Gallery is pleased to announce its participation, for the second time, in Frieze New York to be held in Randall’s Island Park, New York, from May 3-6, 2018 with VIP previews on May 2nd and May 3rd.

This year the gallery will present a curated exhibition of major historical works on paper by Native American artists ranging from Navajo Memory Aid drawings from the American Southwest and Plains Indian Ledger Drawings from the late 19th and the early 20th century, to drawings by some of the most remarkable Inuit artists of the 20th century.

One highlight of the presentation will be a selection of drawings by Inuit artist Parr (1893 - 1969) who lived a traditional nomadic hunting life before settling down in Cape Dorset, Nunavut. Parr began drawing in 1961 at the age of 68 creating a body of approximately 2000 works. His drawings are regarded as a record for future generations of the traditional hunting and nomadic lifestyle of the Inuit. His reductive and direct style shows only the most essential features of humans and animals, depicting actual hunting events from his personal memories.

Beyond their captivating aesthetic qualities, Navajo Memory Aid paintings and drawings had a more pragmatic and rather crucial purpose as well. They originated as a means of memorizing the multitude of patterns and motifs a Navajo medicine man had to learn in order to perform healing ceremonies and rituals that revolved around sand paintings. There are old references to these aids being drawn on pieces of hide or muslin and used when a certain ceremony was performed.

Additionally, we will also exhibit an important group of Plains Indian ledger drawings spanning from the late 19th to the early 20th century. Their presentation is not only a response to but also evidence of the growing interest from the field of contemporary and modern art in Plains Indian drawings, this little known but highly important aspect of American art history.

Download Frieze New York 2018 Press Release