Kevin draws from his Crow culture for his subjects — historical and modern. His exaggeration of the anatomical features and the haunting eyes captivate the viewer. Then the experienced hand finishes the canvas adding a deeper dimension. These are defining characteristics of the work of internationally acclaimed artist Kevin Red Star.
Kevin was born on the Crow Indian Reservation in Lodge Grass, Montana– the third oldest in a family of nine. His father had an abiding interest in music and his mother is a skilled craftswoman. In this nurturing environment, Kevin developed early artistic capability.
Red Star’s work includes frequent representations of the circle, symbolic of many aspects of Plains Indian culture: the camp pow-wow, the directional movement of the pipe during prayer, the design by which to live one’s life, and the geometric beadwork and quillwork. The horse and warrior are often subjects for his work. The Native American woman rendered with great respect — the woman’s dress was a statement of her husband’s prowess as a hunter of elk, only two teeth from each elk were taken for use as ornamentation on her dress. Red Star terms himself a romanticist. “The costuming of my subjects, for instance, is authentic, although at times exaggerated.” When he became serious about his art, he studied and experimented with color and techniques of the Masters until his style evolved. One can always identify “Red Star” but his growth as an artist and person never stops, much to the delight of his collectors and fans. His philosophy parallels Robert Rauschenberg’s: “There should be no barriers in art.”
Website
http://www.kevinredstar.com
