A Journey of The Spirit with Tony A. Tiger

By L. C. Collins

Tony Tiger (Sac and Fox, Seminole, Muscogee Creek), Mvskoke Preacher, etching, serigraph, ink, acrylic paint on paper, 11” x 15”

Tony A. Tiger takes us on a journey of “the spiritual portion of humanity” in his potent exhibition, Memorial: Positive and Negative Space. As an artist and renaissance man, he combines a myriad of painting styles, tools, and visual art mediums to convey a richly cultural and boldly vulnerable depiction of preservation, lineage, and spirituality. A curator of Indigenous art, Tiger formulates his shows as a conduit to amplify the voices and concerns of his multitribal (Seminole, Mvskoke, and Sac and Fox) community and the artists within. Tiger’s work is an open and personal observation of his life and the roots of the Indigenous cultures of his ancestors.

Worldwide, few found themselves exempt from the negative aspects of this passing year. Separation, loss, and death have affected us all or someone we know. Grief and uncertainty are found somewhere within our six degrees of separation as assuredly as joy and triumph. Tiger’s Memorial honors the many Indigenous people who lost their lives in this time of covid while interlocking equal gratitude for life, nature, and Indigenous design. Acrylic on canvas with all the glory of nature’s hues preserved, sealed by a bold tapestry of North Woodland Indigenous floral design. Tiger describes, “Ribbons of intricate patterns juxtapose creating the positive and negative space.” The space in between shifting constantly toying with the eye. Tiger, himself an avid outdoorsman, uses inspiration from his grandfather’s allotment, alongside his personal history and ancestry. Tiger explains as a result of the Indian Removal Act of the 1830s, many men and women from different tribes, thirty-nine tribes in Oklahoma, came together intertwining cultures resulting in a rich tapestry of heritage with a poignant story, not to be forgotten. The exhibition commemorates the positive and negative aspects of life in a way that Tiger hopes to inspire questions, introspection, and greater understanding.

Each work walks us through a voyage of the mind, the body, and the spirit. The kinesthetic energy of Transformation Full Consciousness visibly rises from the canvas as if it moves and breathes. The piece encompasses bold dancing lines, gripping tribal colors, verging vibrant textures, and rich symbolism. This masterpiece is crafted from an amalgam of elements, acrylic paint on panel, Mulberry paper, serigraph, ink, and wood. Three levels like ascending stairs, the first in black and cream and shadow as if visual commentary on life’s duality and grey areas. Upon the

second ascending stair we find the Mvskoke translation of The Lord’s Prayer and encased triangular symbols that appear etched or cemented, a hint of Tiger’s screen printing. These triangles interlocked sporadically across the sector, Tiger explains, represent “the men and women creating the next generation teaching the next generation language, culture, and faith.” Some lightened, almost fossilized, as opposed to the darker more defined speaking to the passing on of heritage, forcible removal, and natural nomadic travel. Their etched-in-stone appearance is a showing of the strength of the native men and women and the power of preservation of culture. This testament to his culture’s faith and language culminating with a rise to the mosaic-like open arms of the centerpiece a black swallowtail butterfly, crystalized in a mirage of tribal colors, emerging from its chrysalis to complete the transformation.

Tiger gives of himself in a vibrant variety of mediums: screen printing, serigraph, Woodland design, etching, Seminole patchwork, Indigenous languages, and photography, to name a few. The personal photographs of himself and his progenitors, treasured heirlooms, are an offering to the viewers to help give his message breath. You’ll find that all the pieces tie into one another, Tony explains, urging his viewers to look closer still when eyeing the multiple differing works. The image of the Mvskoke Preacher, a moment from the 1900s sealed in time, bordered by an eager, colorful congregation of the familiar adjoining triangles we have come to know as a symbol of the people. The Baptist minister, Tiger’s grandfather who he recalls fondly as a man of faith, was the first to be college educated in his family. He taught the importance of education and was an athlete and avid outdoorsman just as his grandson.

Tiger builds a world large enough to get lost in at The Myriad Botanical Gardens. The show is open August 5 -November 5 and is free to view during listed hours. You can see up close how the story unfolds and the detailoriented eye may discern the subtle intricacies of how each creation ties into the other and gives voice. Speak: Speak While You Can, Tiger’s most recent curation, opened at the Seminole Nation Museum on September 1st. It carries a message of equal impactful value, showcasing twenty-five local Indigenous artists’ work on a topic at the forefront of the community—the sustentation of Native languages that they were for so long denied utterance by colonial government policy. You can stay up to date with Tiger’s work on Facebook at Tony Tiger and Tumblr at Tigerartstudios. n

Above: Tony Tiger (Sac and Fox, Seminole, Muscogee Creek), Memorial, acrylic on canvas, artist-built stretcher, Woodland design, inspired by ribbon appliqué, 36” x 48”

Tony Tiger (Sac and Fox, Seminole, Muscogee Creek), Safe to Speak, Mvskoke etching, serigraph, ink, Mulberry paper, wax, Elm branches, copper wire, waxed sinew, LED light, and Popular wood, 24” x 24” x 24”