Bear has dedicated his artistic life to historic American Indian imagery. His work is a cross between historic documentation and modern interpretation, capturing tribal rituals that held mystical appeal to the white man settlers. Artists can either dramatize or romanticize the American Indian subject, nevertheless, it is a truly an American subject that Bear understands.
Artists like Charles Russell, and current American Indian artist, Kevin Red Star, as well as Bear, have been living with this subject matter in Montana. Russell, Red Star and Bear are not painting allegorical myths, instead their works are of daily tribal life or tales of horror that includes massacres of American Indians or of Custer's defeat.
Bear (b. 1950) aka, Charles Bear Weiner, has participated in the C.M. Russell March Art Auction in Great Falls, Montana for at least 30 years. Most of his work submitted for the Russell Auction depicts an 1850s vanishing era of spiritual life on the Northern Plains. His watercolors and oils have been included in numerous shows throughout the west and he has a painting in the Missoula Museum of Art. For many years he was represented by Manitou Galleries. He still resides in Virginia City, MT.
In Bear's painting below, "Mandan Woman," we see a picture that takes on black and white photo imagery with highlights of red. The inside of the tipi/lodge, the buffalo hide is decorated with pictographs representing buffaloes, hunters, warriors and tales of past victories. This picture writing provided a spiritual significance to the American Indians. In this regard, Bear puts a story inside this painting, a native version of the Art of Storytelling.
The Mandan Tribe had villages along the upper Missouri River in the mid-1800's. The Lewis and Clark expedition of the west for Thomas Jefferson provided interesting artifacts for the Virginia President. An early example of a Mandan buffalo robe depicting an inter-tribal battle of 1797 was sent to President Jefferson and is still in the collection at Monticello.
The Mandan woman has long flowing black hair and she is covered with a buffalo skin to keep her warm and dry. The robe is painted with figures achieving accomplishments and/or acts of personal heroism. She glances over to us, the viewer, as to suggest we are interrupting her moment alone. This portrait is set within the confines of tribal daily life. The beads around her neck, give her an air of regalness as she might be the chief's daughter or wife. Bear has studied American Indians and tribal life so that his drawings, watercolors and paintings contain accuracy. In this regard Bear gives us glimmer of tribal life in the 1850s.
Artists like Charles Russell, and current American Indian artist, Kevin Red Star, as well as Bear, have been living with this subject matter in Montana. Russell, Red Star and Bear are not painting allegorical myths, instead their works are of daily tribal life or tales of horror that includes massacres of American Indians or of Custer's defeat.
Bear (b. 1950) aka, Charles Bear Weiner, has participated in the C.M. Russell March Art Auction in Great Falls, Montana for at least 30 years. Most of his work submitted for the Russell Auction depicts an 1850s vanishing era of spiritual life on the Northern Plains. His watercolors and oils have been included in numerous shows throughout the west and he has a painting in the Missoula Museum of Art. For many years he was represented by Manitou Galleries. He still resides in Virginia City, MT.
In Bear's painting below, "Mandan Woman," we see a picture that takes on black and white photo imagery with highlights of red. The inside of the tipi/lodge, the buffalo hide is decorated with pictographs representing buffaloes, hunters, warriors and tales of past victories. This picture writing provided a spiritual significance to the American Indians. In this regard, Bear puts a story inside this painting, a native version of the Art of Storytelling.
The Mandan Tribe had villages along the upper Missouri River in the mid-1800's. The Lewis and Clark expedition of the west for Thomas Jefferson provided interesting artifacts for the Virginia President. An early example of a Mandan buffalo robe depicting an inter-tribal battle of 1797 was sent to President Jefferson and is still in the collection at Monticello.
The Mandan woman has long flowing black hair and she is covered with a buffalo skin to keep her warm and dry. The robe is painted with figures achieving accomplishments and/or acts of personal heroism. She glances over to us, the viewer, as to suggest we are interrupting her moment alone. This portrait is set within the confines of tribal daily life. The beads around her neck, give her an air of regalness as she might be the chief's daughter or wife. Bear has studied American Indians and tribal life so that his drawings, watercolors and paintings contain accuracy. In this regard Bear gives us glimmer of tribal life in the 1850s.
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| Detail of Painting |
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| Example of Charles Bear Signature |
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