Reservation Scene

Louise Nez, Reservation Scene, 1992, commercial yarn, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.189
Copied Louise Nez, Reservation Scene, 1992, commercial yarn, 41 1⁄8 x 41 3⁄4 in. (104.6 x 106.1 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1997.124.189

Artwork Details

Title
Reservation Scene
Artist
Date
1992
Location
Dimensions
41 1⁄8 x 41 3⁄4 in. (104.6 x 106.1 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Chuck and Jan Rosenak and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
commercial yarn
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — horse
  • Animal — horse
  • Figure group
  • Animal — sheep
  • Occupation — domestic — cooking
  • Landscape
  • Indian — Navajo
  • Animal — cattle
  • Architecture — vehicle — wagon
  • Occupation — craft — textile worker
Object Number
1997.124.189
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1997.124.189

Artwork Description

Louise Nez, a renowned Diné (Navajo) matriarch, weaves scenes inspired by her own life and culture. Here, a trio of buttes in the distance places Reservation Scene in the Southwest. The community hums with activity. A hogan, the octagonal structure at right, represents the traditional home and ceremonial space of Diné families. A covered wagon drawn by two horses seems to have just arrived. Women below spin and card wool and weave geometric rugs at the upright loom, while livestock mill about across the scene.
Along with geometric patterned textiles, pictorials have been a creative tradition for generations of Navajo weavers. The longstanding Navajo rug trade enticed many cultural tourists throughout the twentieth century and led to the development of a new and growing market. Diné women continue to compel cultural respect and economic compensation for their work.

Exhibitions

Media - 2019.15 - SAAM-2019.15_1 - 137377
Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women
May 31, 2024–January 5, 2025
Renwick Gallery
The artists in Subversive, Skilled, Sublime: Fiber Art by Women mastered and subverted the everyday materials of cotton, felt, and wool to create deeply personal artworks.