The Lakota had been a thorn in the side of the US government's expansionist agenda for decades, and the arrival of the new movement (the ghost dance) at a time when many Lakota were on the edge of starvation convinced US Army officials on the scene that another war between the Lakota and the United States might be in the offing...
More troops and weapons were sent for, and regulations banning the Ghost Dance issued. A flashpoint was probably inevitable; when it arrived, at Wounded Knee on December 28, 1890, US soldiers opened fire with field artillery and Hotchkiss machine guns on a mostly unarmed band of Lakota Ghost Dancers... -John Michael Greer
No, I will be the pattern of all patience. I will say nothing... -King Lear
I don't quote Greer to demonstrate the army's broodthirstiness...we already know about that...what I'm trying to do is show a certain tension that seems to almost always hover around -a sort of mad hunger and wild thoughtless process that demands violence...it is part of what I paint I think...I'll have to check. I'll ask him and see what he says...
I like the word "decadent". All shimmering with purple and gold...it throws a brilliance of flames and the gleam of precious stones. It is made up of carnal spirit and unhappy flesh and of all the violent splendors... -Paul Verlaine
Thanks Doug, these are some beautiful works, and very satisfying to scrutinize and enjoy.
ReplyDeletethanks Nick, you are in some ways responsible for them you know...
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