Bold Color and Shape by a Contemporary Piikani Artist

Terran Last Gun (b. 1989) is a Piikani (Blackfeet) citizen and printmaker, who works mainly with serigraphy to produce fine original prints. Other mediums he has used include painting and photography. The interplay between color and form have been a focus of Last Gun’s artistic practice. He often draws from Piikani geometric aesthetics and collective narratives that deepen and extend his color and exploration of shape.

Born in Browning, Montana, Last Gun received his A.S. degree from the Blackfeet Community College in 2011, and his BFA in Museum Studies and AFA in Studio Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in 2016. He is a recipient of awards from First Peoples Fund, 2020 Artist in Business Leadership Fellowship; Santa Fe Art Institute, 2018 Story Maps Fellowship; and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 2016 Goodman Aspiring Artist Fellowship. He currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Terran inhaled the scent of buckskins worn by warriors of his people in the mid-1800s as he studied old symbols done in quill. He stood in the collections at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Canada viewing five Blackfoot warrior shirts, which had originated from his people. Terran was honored to represent the Blackfoot Confederacy (Siksikaitsitapi) from the U.S. at the viewing.

“It was a powerful moment,” he says. “It made me realize I wanted to help in terms of the continuation of this work.”

That moment inspired him to pursue Museum Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe. While at the IAIA, Terran also began Studio Arts classes.

“This is one way of continuing on history and culture and also including my own interest in exploring colors, shape, and pop art.”

“I discovered that you could carry on some of this knowledge through visual art,” he says. “This is one way of continuing on history and culture and also including my own interest in exploring colors, shape, and pop art.”

While his dad is an artist, Terran didn’t consider himself one but fell in love with the hands-on process of printmaking. Screen printing quickly became his favorite.

“I like to mix my own colors and explore color interaction,” he says. “It’s the process and materials I’m working with that help determine some of my imagery, but also my own cultural research. We have a unique way of doing art. Our aesthetic is very geometric, so my work tends to be geometric and hard-edged. I draw a lot of inspiration from Blackfoot painted lodges.”

One of Terran’s favorite pieces from last year, “Sunbeam / 101989,” won the Santa Fe Indian market serigraph category. It’s inspired by Blackfoot painted lodges, and by Terran’s journey as an artist.

“I was drawn to that doorway shape and thinking about my own journey through art and where I am currently at in my life,” he says. “I was working with the square format and had a lot of fun with creating these compositions. The yellow and red remind me of the sun and the blue of big sky Montana.

“I feel like it’s doing what I’m trying to do as an artist — to continue on the symbols but in a very modern way, further elevating these geometric symbols. I feel my work is continuum art from my tribe and from my culture.”