Allan Houser Exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens

Morning Prayer - 1987 

It was a beautiful morning in Denver and the temperatures were not going to climb up into the 90's so we decided to head over the the Botanic Gardens and see the Allan Houser sculpture exhibition.  Houser is one of the most renowned modern native artists of the 20th century.

Homeward Bound 

The Botanic Gardens is a natural fit with Houser's sculptures.  I just love how the young Indian woman is cradling the little lamb as the sheep take the lead with her dog bringing up the rear. 
Houser was born in 1914 just after the release of his parents from a prison camp in Oklahoma.  His father was with the small band of of Chiracahuas when their leader, Geronimo, surrendered to the US army in 1886 in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

He successfully combined abstract and figurative styles with When Friends Meet.   I like how the faces are just a void space.

The morning shadows played beautifully on the Corngrinder.

Sacred Rain Arrow is very reminiscent of the Art Deco motif of an Indian shooing an arrow.  Pretty magnificent.  Just recently, this image was selected for the Oklahoma license plate.

 Dineh

From every angle, these two women pose such a striking composition.

It is an interesting exhibit and one that I would recommend seeing, especially right at 9:00 when the Gardens open.