There is an awesome gallery in Double Bay that exhibits Native American Art. Sydney Arts Guide asked the gallery director a few questions and took some pics.
When did your love for Native American Art first begin? Can you please go in to some detail about what draws you to this kind of art? Have you met many of the artists whose work you exhibit? How interested are you in native American philosophy and spirituality?
My love so for the art started when I was exposed to a gallery of it in 1979 whilst living on the east coast. The wearable sculpture (jewellery, both antique and contemporary), being comprised predominantly of turquoise was my initial attraction, although all their various artforms including early Navajo rugs, hand-coiled pottery stone sculpture and paintings. I found I loved the energy and visual of it all. I now go to visit all my contemporary artists, and source their historic work. After being in this business 43 years, I have figured most things out.
I very much feel a sense of alignment with the Native American philosophy and principals of living. I am not Native American myself so I do not contemplate trying to personally identify with their spirituality. It’s a fascinating culture that had no written language and all stories and concepts are recorded visually in their various beautiful art forms. Everything has a meaning- the indigenous turquoise, their Skystone- prosperity, health and wisdom.
When was this current gallery established? Did you have any business background to begin with? Did your father give you any guidance?
I first opened this gallery in 1981 when I was just 21. It was a very small store back then with no staff and it was open 6 days a week. After my HSC I deferred my maths and science degree and worked for a little while in the old retail Waltons pilot store, training as department manager before our family went to the USA.
My father was an electrical engineer by profession and ended up at the CEO of a large American company, Westinghouse. He did guide me in the early days with financial aspects, things like monthly trade figures and monthly costs, also keeping records of which things I seemed to be ordering over others, for example art, versus jewellery, versus pottery and so on.
Not that I was very interested in all these figures, as I just wanted to buy beautiful things and go over on buying trips and introduce this fabulous new field of artworks to Sydney and Australia. It was the days before the internet and things were very different.
How often do you travel overseas to procure new goods for the shop?
I used to go buying 2 times a year but since Covid it’s now just once a year. My contacts and my art acquisitions are so many now that this is fine for art acquisitions.
Is your Four Winds Gallery the only gallery in Sydney that specialises in Native American art? Is this your sole gallery or do you have galleries interstate/elsewhere?
Four Winds is the only gallery in the Southern hemisphere I believe that deals exclusively in authentic, collectible, Native American art.
The Four Winds Gallery : Native American Art is located at Shop 1, 17-19 Knox Lane Double Bay.
http://www.fourwindsgallery.com.au
