Jaune Quick To See Smith

By Yesha Thakore
Biography

Jaune Quick To See Smith (born 1940) is a Native American artist and curator, as well as an art
educator, art advocate, and a political activist. She is a member of the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes and is also of Metis and Shoshone descent. Her work is from a Native
American point of view and is commentary on the Native American identity, history of
oppression, and environmental issues.
Era: Modern
Medium: Mixed Media
Group Affiliation: Native American
Theme

The theme I’ve chosen is maps. A map is a “graphic representation, drawn to scale and usually
on a flat surface, of features - for example, geographical, geological, or geopolitical - of an area
of the Earth or of any other celestial body” (Britannica).
The formal elements communicate maps by lines, shapes, color and texture. Similarly, the
principles of design also communicate maps by unity and variety, rhythm and repetition, etc.
The theme of maps is presented in all three of the works by Smith that I’ve chosen.
Untitled (Memory Map), 2000

Type: Painting
Medium: Oil
Context: When the viewer looks from far
away, it appears to be a normal map of the
US. However, upon further inspection, the
map is covered in Indigenous symbols. Some
of these pictographs are all that remain of
past Native cultures.
Tribal Map, 2000

Type: Painting

Medium: Oil and Mixed Media

Context: Smith uses primary colors, dark

greens, and pale pinks, similar to regular US
maps. Except, instead of state names, the
viewer sees names of living Indigenous
communities. Furthermore, the borders drip
and bleed together to indicate boundaries
melting.
Echo 2, 2000

Type: Painting

Medium: Oil and Mixed Media

Context: Similar to the previous two maps, this

map also lures the viewer into thinking it’s a
plain US map. But again, it’s not. Once more the
dripping paint is used to show the melting of
boundaries. Smith uses this painting to raise
awareness about oppression of Native cultures.
Reflection

I must say that the more I learn about Jaune Quick To See Smith, the bigger of a fan I am. Her
unique style of using mixed media to express Native American identity, history, and
environmental issues is very clever. I also like how she was inspired by both traditional Native
art and formal artists such as Picasso. As for the map themed artworks, I like how the closer
you look, the more details you can spot. For example, in all of them, paint is dripping down the
map to show melting boundaries. Finally, you might expect art to move you, but Smith’s
artwork doesn’t just carry emotion, it also educates the viewer and raises awareness about
Native oppression.
Works Cited

“Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.” To, https://www.jaunequicktoseesmith.org/.

“Jaune Quick-to-See Smith: Artist Profile.” NMWA, 16 Nov. 2021,
https://nmwa.org/art/artists/jaune-quick-see-smith/.
Fuechsel, Charles. “Map.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.,
2022, https://www.britannica.com/science/map.
“Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.” Smithsonian American Art Museum, 2012,
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/jaune-quick-see-smith-4505.