Newest Anderson Ranch exhibit infuses traditional with modern artwork

An Indigenous artist from Montana who blends historical artifacts with modern elements is set to return to a renowned Snowmass Village institution.

Terran Last Gun, who once participated in Anderson Ranch Arts Center’s Visiting Artist Program, joins his father Terrance Guardipee as they showcase the upcoming exhibition “Last Eagle/Last Gun: Modern Recordings of Ancient Blackfoot Symbolisms.” 

The exhibition, slated for Nov. 18-Jan. 24, will be on display in the Anderson Ranch Patton-Malott Gallery. An open reception for the gallery is also slated for 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 during the Center’s Holiday Open House. 

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This is the first time Guardipee and Last Gun show work together and the exhibition celebrates Piikani (Blackfeet) heritage through the infusion of historical ledger art with a unique paper collage technique utilizing historical documents such as maps, stock records, inventory dockets, and war ration tickets, the release states.

As a lineage of renowned lodge painters, the Piikani seamlessly blend antique documents with vibrant colors and striking geometric patterns, illuminating Indigenous narratives and offering fresh, contemporary interpretations of time-honored symbols.

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“At Anderson Ranch, we are honored to amplify the Indigenous voices shown in this exhibition, celebrating the vibrant heritage that shapes both tradition and innovation in art. The work of these extraordinary artists exemplifies this commitment by weaving together ancient Blackfoot symbolism with fresh, contemporary expressions,” Andrea Jenkins Wallace, vice president of Artistic Affairs at Anderson Ranch, said in the release. “As a past participant of the Visiting Artist program at the Ranch, Terran Last Gun will be returning to campus with his father to show his work in this exhibition, some of which was created here at the Ranch at this time last year. Through their dynamic blend of historical ledger art and modern collage, these Piikani artists invite us to see Indigenous stories as enduring and evolving, resonating powerfully in today’s artistic landscape.” 

The Patton-Malott Gallery is located on the Anderson Ranch campus. Its contemporary and rustic architectural elements provide the backdrop for rotating exhibitions throughout the year.

The exhibition is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged at https://www.andersonranch.org/events/terran-last-gun-and-terrrance-guardipee/.

About the artists

Terrance Guardipee is an internationally acclaimed Blackfeet painter and ledger artist, consistently recognized for the traditional depiction of his Blackfeet heritage and the contemporary innovation demonstrated in his work. Guardipee was one of the first Native artists to revive the historical ledger art tradition, and the first ledger artist to transform the style from the single-page custom into his signature map collage concept. The map collage concept is based on the ledger art style, but in addition to single-page ledgers he incorporates various antique documents such as maps, war rations, and checks. In all his artwork, Guardipee uses antique documents dating from the mid-19th century and typically originating from the historical and present Blackfeet homeland of Montana. 

Terran Last Gun, Saakwaynaamah’kaa (Last Gun) is a contemporary visual artist and citizen of the Piikani (Blackfeet) of Montana—Piikani is one of four nations that make up the Blackfoot Confederacy. Last Gun’s work focuses on color and shape exploration, and the visual documentation of nature, cosmos,  narratives, and recollections. Often employing geometric aesthetics, he contributes to an ancient yet continuum Indigenous North American narrative through various media,  including ledger drawing, printmaking, painting, and photography. 

Last Gun received his BFA in Museum Studies and AFA in Studio Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2016. He has received awards from the First Peoples Fund  2020 Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship, Santa Fe Art Institute 2018 Story Maps  Fellowship, and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture 2016 Goodman Fellowship. Last Gun was named one of the 2022 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now in Southwest Contemporary (formerly THE Magazine). He currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New  Mexico.