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Kevin Red Star's art of living
January 12, 2009
Kaiy Bjork
By Kay Bjork
Powerful and vibrant - while exuding a gentle strength.
Joyful yet serene…
Simple, but deep – like a glassy lake that reflects light, but offers more beneath its surface.
These are words that not only describe Kevin Red Star’s artwork, but also describe the man.
A premier Northern Plains painter, Red Star grew up on a 7,000-acre ranch on the Crow Indian Reservation in Southwest Montana.
His artwork depicts the nomadic life of the Plains Indians, prompted by his own childhood memories of the noble Crow men riding into the reservation on horseback. Kevin strives toward authenticity, duplicating the color and symmetric design noted in Crow Indian art to preserve that heritage. He explains, “Then down the road, people can look at the work and look at a historical piece.”
Although slightly abstract, every detail is carefully studied and accurately portrayed. Some of his work reflects a bolder, brighter and more dramatic result and other pieces possess a more gestural, watery effect.
His exciting portraits often use bright rich colors of red and yellow contrasted by a dark or light background to bring the subjects and their colorful costumes to life.
With his glistening black hair, tall and lean physique, and classic Crow features, Kevin would make a perfect subject for one of his handsome portrait paintings. These compelling images depict strong, noble and open faces.
The directness of eye contact and the brilliancy of the portraits draw the viewer deeper into the life of the painting. They hold a magnetic quality that Kevin also possesses with his bright, but gentle spirit.
Tied to nature and family, he spent his childhood romping with his eight siblings in the foothills of the Rockies. The expansive family ranch included cows, horses, a garden, orchard, and an alfalfa and hay operation.
Summer days were filled with high plains golden sunshine, hiking in the mountains, and wading in the creek where he cast a line and pulled out trout that glistened in the hot summer sun.
They were good days – resulting in good memories. “It stuck with me,” said Red Star, his dark eyes lighting up. “My family impressed me.”
A sensitivity and appreciation for beauty was nurtured in this loving family. True to the Crow heritage - nature, family and education remained at the core of the Red Star family’s life.
Art and music were a part of the rhythm of Kevin’s household. His father was a musician and his mother a skilled craftswoman. His father played the saxophone and had jam sessions with friends. His mother designed and sewed authentic native costumes adorned with intricate beadwork.
All the children studied music - Kevin the violin and drums. Evenings were filled with a pleasant mixture of music, conversation and reading.
Creating images began as soon as Kevin could grasp a crayon pencil or pen in his hand.
He would lie comfortably along the baseboard of a friend’s house with a crayon or pencil and create lovely drawings, so charming, that when the house was sold, the new owner kept the child’s version of a wall mural.
His early education included the privilege of boarding school.
“There were opportunities there if people wanted it ... I took them.”
These opportunities included being one of 150 teen-aged boys selected in 1962 to attend the first Native American art school, the Institute of American Indian Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Surrounded by other students with similar backgrounds made the adventure less frightening for a young boy who had grown up in the safe shelter of a loving family and community.
He found the climate of learning exciting. Studios were kept open until bedtime so fresh, creative minds were not boxed in by classroom hours. He experimented with lithography and mixed-media work while gaining a solid background in art fundamentals. He also began to research his heritage, reflecting his commitment to recording his Crow culture through his artwork.
Three years later he was awarded a scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute where he received the Governor’s Trophy and the Al and Helen Baker Award from the Scottsdale National Indian Arts Exhibition during his freshman year.
His early oil paintings used soft muted earth tones, Native American themes and a gentle, tranquil mood that reflected the dreamy side of Red Star. His primary subjects were portraits, encampments, and horses.
“They are paintings that portray the realities of everyday life… I feel romantic of these times.”
He returned to Montana to continue his studies at Montana State University, Bozeman and Eastern Montana College in Billings.
He was propelled by the belief, “If you work hard and long enough, things can happen.”
And things continued to happen for the young artist.
In 1974 he was invited to return to IAIA as an artist-in-residence. Immersed in the art world, his art continued to evolve and he expanded his medium to include stone lithography, serigraphs and etchings.
In the next few years he traveled the U.S. with several one-man shows and internationally with a group show in Tokyo introducing Native American art to Japan, to Paris for the First Contemporary Native American Art Exhibit, and to China as the Native American Representative at the Peking Art Exhibit.
His career continued to soar with his work displayed worldwide in prestigious and exclusive galleries and museums - such as the Smithsonian Institution, the C.M. Russell Museum, the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, the Denver Art Museum and it museums in Belgium, China, Germany and Japan.
In spite of his popularity and critical acclaim, he has not become complacent, he continues to explore and grow.
Kevin’s humility is stunning considering his impressive career.
Amidst his international success came a yearning to do something that was close to his people. He wanted to send a message to the young Crow, “You can do this too.”
So Kevin established the first Native American art gallery in his home area of Red Lodge and returned to his roots.
He remained dedicated to the people and place that had nurtured him in the beginning of his young life on the reservation, sharing his talent as an instructor to children in the public schools and women in prison.
He continues to travel the world to share his artwork but keeps focused on enjoying simple but precious moments in his life – watching clouds metamorphous against the blue sky, breathing in the smells of the earth each morning on his ranch, and attending his grandson’s first birthday party.
This he considers – the art of living.
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