Death of a great artist

A couple of weeks ago Carla received the sad news of the death of our friend, the American Indian stone sculptor Gordon Tonips. Gordon died at the age of 61 of cancer of the pancreas, diagnosed only recently (and way too late).

Gordon was Comanche and Kiowa.

Carla had originally become aware of Gordon's work through a feature article in a regional glossy magazine, Cowboys and Indians. She contacted Gordon's wife and business partner, Tomazane (Tommye) and asked if Gordon's work would be exhibited in any shows in the area in the near future. In fact, they were going to be at the Indian Market in Grand Prairie, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth, about 40 miles from our place). Tommye said that ordinarily at that show they only displayed their minor works, notably a lovely line of stone oil lamps, but given that a major Cherokee art patron was going to visit, they would have some serious pieces there!

In fact, there was very serious work there, and we bought our first of his pieces, Puye. We see it here:


The sculpture depicts a stone dwelling, carved into the face of the rock, in the Puye ruins of New Mexico, an abandoned pueblo near Espanola, New Mexico (about 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe). The site was believed to have been occupied from about the 12th century until 1577, when the inhabitants had to leave owing to severe drought. It is thought that the present-day inhabitants of the Santa Clara Pueblo (nearby) are descended from the Puye people.

The detail work in this piece is just stunning.

The piece is about 12" high (exclusive of its display base).

Gordon finds the boulders he uses on his travels around the region, and says that after a while, a boulder will speak to him, and tell him what it is destined to be. He says he then cuts away everything but that.

Later, as a surprise gift to me, Carla purchased a second of Gordon's works, Baking Day:


It depicts a classical American Indian corner baking oven. Fireplaces based on this design are a regular fixture in the modern adobe-style homes of New Mexico.

The piece is about 11" high.

At Gordon's show at the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, we saw a truly extraordinary work, with the deceptively simple title The Water Jar. It had just taken second prize in the stone sculpture division of the prestigious art competition at the Red Earth Native American Cultural Festival in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Carla shortly decided that we had to have this piece, and negotiated with Tommye for its purchase when it came off exhibition. We see it here:


The piece is approximately 23" wide and 15" high.

As always, the detail work is just exquisite. In this case, the back of the piece is fully worked.


[continued]

[Part 2[

When it was time for us to pick up The Water Jar, Carla and Tommye arranged for the four of us to meet at a nice Mexican Restaurant for the event. Gordon is widely informed on many topics and is a great story teller. We shared some wonderful "war stories" (some of them were actually that).

As lunch wrapped up, Gordon told Carla that he was giving her two bald eagle feathers from his personal bald eagle carcass. Some of you may have read the story of the feathers here earlier. He said he did this because he was so impressed by the way that she had embraced her Cherokee heritage.

These feathers are strictly controlled, and can only be possessed by a member of a recognized American Indian Tribe.

Carla made the feathers part of her regalia when she danced the Kiowa Butterfly Dance at the 2011 Miss Senior Parker County Pageant (she was first runner-up in the overall competition).

Here we see Carla (with the feathers), Gordon, and Tommye:


It was the last time we saw Gordon Tonips alive.

In Part 3 of this series, I will describe Gordon's funeral, a wondrous event.

But first I need to refuel.

Best regards,

Doug

Ah, a few rye crackers with cream cheese and 9 IU of insulin - a repast fit for a king. That should be good for another 5000 words or so.

[Part 3]

Last week (2011.08.16) Carla and I attended Gordon Tonips' funeral, in a chapel on the east side of Fort Worth, not far from Gordon and Tommye's home. It was conducted under full Comanche protocol, adapted to the context.

The service began with a lovely recorded rendition of Amazing Grace sung in Comanche by a girl's choir. Then the Medicine Bluff Drum took over (drum in this usage means not only the instrument but as well the ensemble who play it and sing for formal proceedings of many Indian tribes).

Two intertribal dance songs were sung; some of the attendees, at the invitation of the "masters of ceremony", danced gently in their places. The singing of the intertribal dance songs is not in any actual language. Rather, they are sung in vocables, syllables of a synthetic language used so as not to prejudice the proceedings toward any particular tribe.


Then followed a number of addresses by friends and colleagues. Many were stories of people who at some point in their lives were down-and-out (perhaps a business had failed). In each case, they told how Gordon had helped them recover, perhaps suggesting a new plan for the business, replete with nicely designed business cards, advertising posters, order blanks, and contracts, perhaps supplied free (Gordon's "day job" before he decided to spend full time on his sculpture was as operator of a commercial printing shop, "Wampum Press"). The story was always of not only substantive help but also, more importantly, of guidance and support.

Carla in fact joined in, telling how she came to know Gordon and his work, and telling of his wondrous, empowering gift of the two bald eagle feathers. Tommye was very touched.

I did not plan to shoot any at the funeral, out of respect, but I decided to try to grab a shot of Carla at the podium. Of course the SX110 I had in my pocket was set at ISO 200, so we ended up with a very slow shutter speed, and I had to maneuver wildly to get the shot at all.

At one time, I would have trashed this, but I now realize that this is in fact an example of a really worthwhile photographic art form:


Gordon was a veteran of the Air force. He had had been a member of the Renegade Nation Color Guard, a unit of military veterans, all American Indians, who provide honor guard services at many functions. The unit served at the funeral, including performing the ceremonial folding of the flag that had covered Gordon's casket (in much finer style than I have often seen it done - and quickly).

Taps was played on an American Indian flute by one of the younger members of the Color Guard, himself a well-known maker of those flutes and performer on same.

Gordon will be interred in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

All in all it was a fitting celebration of the life of a fine man, a citizen of two nations, a warrior in one nation's service, a great story teller, a respected dancer at Indian Pow-Wows, a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and uncle, a respected teacher, and - oh yes, a wondrous artist.

We will miss Gordon Tonips. BELTIN ATTACHIN, my friend.

Best regards,

Doug

Truly a great loss to us all. I'm sorry to hear of this.

Hi, Rachel,

Rachel Foster said:

Truly a great loss to us all. I'm sorry to hear of this.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

Gordon was clearly a good human being and your story does great justice to him. People like Gordon do not just die, they continue in our ciollective memories. I am glad to have heard of Gordon, now he will be in my memories too.

i wish his family and friends lots of strength.

Hi, Cem,

Cem_Usakligil said:

Gordon was clearly a good human being and your story does great justice to him. People like Gordon do not just die, they continue in our ciollective memories. I am glad to have heard of Gordon, now he will be in my memories too.

i wish his family and friends lots of strength.

Click to expand...

Thank you so much.

Best regards,

Doug

Doug, I am sorry to hear the loss of your good friend. I also am glad I have come to know of him as a person and his works through your post.

May Gordon rest in peace.

Regards.

Have you read ¨Empire Of The Summer Moon¨? It is a Comanche history, and has some trivia about Weatherford. Suspect you know most of it, but I found it very interesting. For example, Weatherford once had a newspaper called ¨The White Man¨.

Hi, Clayton,

Clayton Lofgren said:

Have you read ¨Empire Of The Summer Moon¨? It is a Comanche history, and has some trivia about Weatherford. Suspect you know most of it, but I found it very interesting. For example, Weatherford once had a newspaper called ¨The White Man¨.

Click to expand...

In fact, Carla has the book. She says when she got it she was already overloaded with Indian historical material, and didn't read much of it (she says it is very "dense" material).

I think she may revisit it now that you have called attention to it. Thanks so much for doing that.

Best regards,

Doug