Mary Sully | |
|---|---|
 Sully around 1912 | |
| Born | Susan Mabel Deloria May 2, 1896 |
| Died | August 29, 1963 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (American) |
Mary Sully (1896–1963) was a Yankton Dakota avant-garde artist.[1][2] Her work remained largely unknown until the early 21st century.[3]
Sully is best known for her colored-pencil triptychs and "personality prints," which often depicted celebrities such as Amelia Earhart, Gertrude Stein, and Greta Garbo. Her panels, characterized by abstract forms, symbols, rich colors, and symmetry, often appear kaleidoscopic in nature.
Her designs draw from and incorporate classic Native American designs — specifically Navajo textiles and Plains parfleches, painted rawhide containers — while also aligning with the Art Nouveau and Bauhaus movements.
Although she was active during the early decades of the 20th century, when Native American art and Art Nouveau were gaining prominence in mainstream fine art exhibitions, Sully was considered revolutionary for her synthesis of these two genres.
- ^ "Native American women artists finally get their due in new Minneapolis exhibition". www.theartnewspaper.com. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ^ "In Sioux aunt's work, historian finds art on fringes of modernism, tradition". Harvard Gazette. 2019-07-11. Retrieved 2019-11-10.
- ^ "5 of 'Hearts': A sampling of the Native women whose art is the focus of the new exhibit "Hearts of Our People"". The Star Tribune. June 1, 2019.