Earl Biss

(Apsáalooke, 1947-1998)

Trading 20 Year Old Horses for 16 Year Old Women

oil on canvas

signed Biss (upper right)

57 3/4 x 84 inches.

This lot is located in Denver.

Earl Biss Jr. (Apsáalooke, 1947-1998) was a prominent Native American painter, widely recognized for his vibrant, expressive style that merged traditional Indigenous themes with contemporary Western art techniques. Biss was deeply influenced by his Crow heritage and the vast landscapes of the American West. He studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and later at the San Francisco Art Institute, where he was exposed to modernist and abstract art movements that would come to inform his signature style.

Biss often described his creative approach as a kind of trance or improvisation, allowing the images to emerge organically from the canvas. Using rich, layered oil paints and sweeping brushstrokes, he created works that were both abstract and narrative, often portraying dynamic scenes of warriors on horseback, storms, or migratory herds. His use of color was especially striking, with bold hues that conveyed energy, motion, and emotion all at once.

Earl Biss is considered a pivotal figure in the contemporary Native American art movement, helping to redefine Indigenous art beyond traditional styles and into the broader fine art realm. His work breaks barriers, appearing in major galleries and collections, and has influenced future generations of Native artists. Biss's paintings are celebrated not only for their technical mastery but also for their emotional depth and cultural resonance. Through his visionary style, he offered a powerful expression of Native experience—timeless, dynamic, and defiantly modern.