Through the Lens: Kirby Sattler and Edward Curtis
Edward Curtis was born in rural Wisconsin in 1868. He lived the majority of his life in poverty and when his father died it was up to him and his older brother to take care of the rest of the family. At this time they were living in Seattle. Curtis then risked all of his family’s income to invest in a photography studio. It was his passion ever since he was a little kid and at that time taking a risk like that was huge. That just goes to show how much confidence and dedication he had towards photography. It was also in the Pacific Northwest where he found his passion for photographing Native Americans. He always looked for those tribes who preserved as much culture as they were able, and those became the majority of his subject matter.
Kirby Sattler is entirely different than Curtis in the biographical aspect. He is virtually unknown, except through his art. He lives in the mountains of Mexico, away from most civilization. By looking at his portraits you really get a spiritual aspect from each and every one of them. In some of his paintings he even morphs certain animals to his subject’s body to show the spiritual connection between the two.
Although Edward Curtis was a photographer and Kirby Sattler is a painter, they both had a lot in common. One of the main similarities between the two is their choice for subject matter. Despite the fact that neither one of them are Native American, they chose the Native people to portray in their portraits. There are similar themes throughout the portraits, but their styles are really unique to their own personalities. Curtis has a softer, more natural and realistic style to his photographs, while Sattler chooses bold colors and contrasts in a lot of his paintings to send a more powerful, spiritual message.
Prompts
Kirby Sattler is entirely different than Curtis in the biographical aspect. He is virtually unknown, except through his art. He lives in the mountains of Mexico, away from most civilization. By looking at his portraits you really get a spiritual aspect from each and every one of them. In some of his paintings he even morphs certain animals to his subject’s body to show the spiritual connection between the two.
Although Edward Curtis was a photographer and Kirby Sattler is a painter, they both had a lot in common. One of the main similarities between the two is their choice for subject matter. Despite the fact that neither one of them are Native American, they chose the Native people to portray in their portraits. There are similar themes throughout the portraits, but their styles are really unique to their own personalities. Curtis has a softer, more natural and realistic style to his photographs, while Sattler chooses bold colors and contrasts in a lot of his paintings to send a more powerful, spiritual message.
Prompts
- Considering both men were Caucasian, what do you think caused this interest in a culture that is not their own?
- Other than similar subject matter, what do you feel were some common traits in both Curtis’s and Sattler’s portraits?
- Do you feel that by taking a deeper look at Edward Curtis you can get a sense of who Kirby Sattler is? Explain.
- Why do you think that an artist like Kirby Sattler chose to keep to himself more than other artists? Do you think that it might be because he is alive and the majority of artists people are familiar with are deceased?
- Which artist do you think has the most powerful imagery in their portraits?
