The Hippie Modernism Movement: Past, Present and Future

When Sherman Alexie talks about hippies and Native Americans in the piece we read, I was reminded of the Hippie Modernism gallery show at the Cranbrook Art Museum, which I saw while going to art school this year. This show focuses on "the evolution of the period (of the 1960s to 1970s), from pharmacological, technological, and spiritual means to expand consciousness and alter one's perception of reality (credit)." to address the issues of race, queer issues, peace, media, freedom, the struggle for utopia, and gender and feminism.

This was a period when we as people began to question what restricted us from doing what we wanted. We questioned the government, our mental capacities, and society. We began to try to make a statement, and break free from what oppressed us.

"During the sixties, my father was the perfect hippie, since all the hippies were trying to be Indians. Because of that, how could anyone recognize that my father was making a social statement?" -Sherman Alexie

The Native American's embodied free spirit, because they were misunderstood. In their difference from "normal" American life they seemed to be the most free. They appeared to be overcoming what oppressed them, and their history represented nobility and hostility.

Sherman Alexie's father was a free spirit, one who wanted to break free from the oppression that came with living on a Reservation. Breaking free from racial restrictions and focusing on collaboration in life was what was part of the hippie movement.

Minorities are those who contributed most to the hippie movement. Toying with the idea of freedom, they wondered if they had broken free of restrictions such as a Native American's reservation, if they would have been able to see life from a different perspective, and what impact would they have on the would have had. This was when they challenged all the oppressors put on them, and they decided to try to force the changes they were looking for.

Creating art now can help us analyze the past and our reactions. In the 1960s and 1970s, strong ideas were presented, and now we can take the boldness of before to confront ideas for now. These issues of self exploration, of gender, of media, of freedom are something we still must confront. The 60s and 70s opened up a discussion for these topics, and now we continue them.

Interactive Rock-n-Roll exhibit

Out of all art movements, the one of Hippie Modernism stood out to me the most. I am a minority in two respects, one being in the LGBT community, and the other being a Native American. If I do suffer, it usually is from one, because I am a woman, and the other because I am in the LGBT community. Seeing how art from the past contrasted with art from the present inspired me to confront the restriction placed on me and spark freedom for further generations. When I see people of the past like me who fought for me and my future on the homefront, I now want to create art to influence thought just as they did. Just as Jimmy Hendrix created his rendition of the Star Spangled Banner to influence thought and a voice for himself, I now make my art with the thought of what ideas can I share so that I can also make a difference.

Art piece by myself on LGBT issues

. . .

For an interactive discussion on Cranbrooks Hippie Modernism show, there is an event coming up with artists and experts on these topics here to converse on the issues and ideas presented, here's a link: Free Radicals: A Symposium

This link goes into depth of the history and art of hippie modernism and the struggle for utopia, this panel discussion really helped me understand more into depth the issue and analyze the ideas from the topic as a whole: Hippie Modernism Opening-Day Talk