Star Wallowing Bull : transformer

This limited-edition catalog accompanied a solo exhibition of intricate paintings and color pencil drawings by Star Wallowing Bull (Ojibwe, Arapahoe) that took place at the Plains Art Museum in Fargo, ND in 2015. Wallowing Bull often pulls from his childhood experiences to depict robots and other mechanized figures, as well as recognizable pop culture icons such as Transformers, Yoda, and Mickey Mouse wearing traditional Native American regalia. The title for the exhibition was inspired by the artist’s affinity for the Transformers franchise, as well as his own transformation within his artistic practice from paper and pencil to canvas and paint.

The catalog includes an introduction by Colleen J. Sheehy, an essay by Netha Cloeter, an interview between Wallowing Bull and Laura Youngbird, and 28 full-page color plates of the artist’s works. The cover of the catalog features his painting "The Optimator" (2014, acrylic on canvas), which is described by Cloeter as a "headdress-wearing, American Indian Movement-affiliated relative of Optimus Prime [a main character from 'Transformers']" who "inherits his name from a beer on tap in a Fargo restaurant, reflecting the transfer of pop culture references between commodities… He is simultaneously a representation, a commodity, and a cipher."