A Secret Cache by John Buxton

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"A Secret Cache" is the 2013 winner of the Quest for the West Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award and hangs on display at Indianapolis’ Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art.

This work is a seminar unto itself in how a great artist uses design to tell a story. Plunder was as vital a means of support on the frontier as trade. After distribution of any “windfall” among the tribe, the surplus would be hidden in a secure location. Buxton’s choice of a zig-zag composition draws your eye continuously up and down the painting. The only verticals in the painting are the Indians themselves, causing you to stop and inspect what each one is doing. The lack of a strong source of light adds to the secretive nature of the moment. Your eyes never leave the painting.