“Prairie Edge Hunt” Artwork finds new home at The Rushmore
We are happy to announce the acquisition of a local National treasure: Prairie Edge Hunt by Alan & Patty Eckman, which is now on display in our lobby.
This piece represents a portrait of native American life showing a clever and efficient form of the Lakota buffalo hunt. Five mounted warriors bring down thirteen buffalo, five unsuspecting women and children are caught in the Melee.
A mother is desperately tying to protect her baby in a cradleboard from the falling rocks caused by a charging buffalo bull upheaving a mounted warrior on the rocks above them. The grandmother and young granddaughter beckon urgently to a very terrified young sister to join them in the protected crevice in order to avoid the stampeding buffalo.
Details also include two startled Magpies, one on a nest with two eggs on a large ponderosa pine tree, several petroglyphs carved in the walls of the cliffs, two buffalo skulls, a hidden turtle and much more!
This exquisite action-packed piece contains the infinite amount of detail that only the Eckmans can accomplish in the fine art medium of cast paper sculpture. It took Allen & Patty Ekman eleven months from start to the finish to create this homage to nature, native culture and the beauty of imitating life. To create art of this beauty, it took passion, knowledge and refined executions.
From paper comes form, elegance and grace
Cast Paper sculpture has been around since the 1950’s, originating in Mexico.
Often confused with Papier-Mache, this medium is completely different. In cast paper sculpture, the Eckmans first mix an acid-free pulp from raw cotton and abaca. It is then vacuum pressure pressed to extract most of the water. The balance of the drying process is completed by natural evaporation while still in molds. Now begins the labor of love of painstakingly detailing each piece. This will take many months. The Eckmans are the inventors of this process and developed this medium of cast paper far beyond any other artists in the world. Their work is considered by many art critics to be the best in the world! Since the paper is Acid free, the sculptures are all museum quality.
The piece is representative of to the Lakota culture, in the Indian’s materials, the physical and spiritual existence in a period of our nation’s history in harmony with nature.
The Eckmans home and studio are in Rapid City in the black hills of South Dakota. On large complicated and detailed works the couple often works together, both signing the piece when completed.
