Dennis Cusick
Dennis Cusick | |
---|---|
Born | c. 1800 New York, US |
Died | 1824 New York, US |
Nationality | Self-taught |
Known for | Painting |
Movement | Iroquois Realist Movement |
Dennis Cusick (c. 1800–1824) was a
Biography
Dennis Cusick was born c. 1800 to the Tuscarora tribe, one of the Six Nations of the
This interest in documenting the lifeways and history of area tribes must have influenced his sons, particularly Dennis' older brother, David Cusick, who wrote and illustrated Sketches of Ancient History of the Six Nations in 1828.
In January 1818, Dennis joined the Tuscarora
Dennis died at the age of twenty-four.[1]
Artwork
James Young, a teacher at the Buffalo Creek school, wrote about Dennis, "in acquiring the arts he has had no instruction except what he has received from copying."[1]: 132 Dennis was praised by another teacher, who said he "could draw well, and made his own colors from native woods."[1]: 132 He was also praised for his skill in calligraphy, which appears in his paintings. In Cusick's art, the fusion of Native and Euro-American motifs provides an authentic visual chronicle of the material changes in Native culture that resulted from the absorption of Christian values and themes.[2]
Two almost identical watercolor paintings were painted by Dennis to adorn collection boxes. "Seneca School House" is dated July 3, 1821, and "Seneca Mission House" is dated April 16, 1822.[1]: 133 They both feature the two-storey, log schoolhouse, both with a pitched roof, smoking chimney, and bell tower. To the left is a crowd of traditionally dressed Tuscarora warriors and boys. Tall trees flank the sides of the paintings and birds fly overhead. The later painting is precisely composed and more orderly overall.
A pair of 1821 watercolors features schoolchildren in class. "Seneca School House. July 16, 1821" portrays James Young teaching a crowd of Tuscarora boys. Books, desks, and windows dot the room. Dennis' flair for calligraphy in almost uncanny in its precision, as showcased in Biblical quotes, examples of script on a chalkboard, and minute vocabulary lessons in three languages, pinned on the walls. The gustoweh headdresses that adorn the older boys' heads indicate a continued Iroquois identity.[3]
"Seneca Mission House, Nov. 15, 1821" features girls studying in Mrs. James Young's class. Quotes about the nature of work hover over a scene of Tuscarora girls, busy as a variety of spinning wheels, overseen by an elaborately coiffed Mrs. Young at the paintings' left.
Two of Dennis' other paintings survive. Dated March 4, 1822, "Evening Psalm" is a watercolor on paper, signed by the artist.
The last painting, "Christening of the Tuscarora Asa Thompson," is unsigned but dated 1821. Attribution is based on style and documentation that accompanied the painting.[1]: 137 The watercolor painting features a Tuscarora woman handing her baby to an Iroquois man, wearing a fingerwoven sash, leggings, and moccasins. To his right in the minister, holding a Bible and extending his right hand. Both men have top hats. The background foliage is even more whimsical than that of "Evening Psalm." Swaying trees cover rolling hills around the edges of the scene, but the center of the painting has large unpainted, negative space, providing contrast the figures.
Legacy
Dennis was one of the Early Iroquois Realists, who included at least five other painters,
References
- ^ ISBN 978-3-9811620-0-4.
- ISBN 9780875772233
- ISBN 978-0-19-284218-3.
- ^ Painting. Archived 2009-09-15 at the Wayback Machine The Iroquois Museum (retrieved 12 Feb 2009).