Ben Nelson is soft-spoken and intuitive and a little bit cagey.
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That's no surprise; artists are supposed to be sensitive. What makes Nelson an anomaly is his simultaneous allegiance to all things good ol' boy. He freely admits, for example, that he went to Oklahoma University to major in beer and football and only fell into his Political Science degree by happy accident. He loves classic rock and the brand of brotherhood provided by his fraternity. He's a registered Republican.
Nelson draws a clear line between the art he makes to sell-not only at Indian Market, but in a steady stream throughout the year-and art he makes for himself.
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He might spend all night in his garage studio making paintings for Kiva Fine Art (102 E. Water St., 820-7413), where he and his father, Yellowman, reign like twin emperors over its walls. But photography and poetry are for him alone. "I don't invest more of myself in either art form," he says. "One is just public and one is for me."
Nelson began painting early in his life, feeling drawn to the "ledger" tradition of the Great Plains, developed as buffalo hides vanished and Native artists began using accounting ledgers to draw pictographs. "I saw the ledger paintings and I just thought, that's something a little kid could do." His father has been making his own version of the traditional paintings for nearly 20 years and Yellowman has clearly left footsteps worth following. Nelson's been courting collectors since 13, which is when, in his estimation, he garnered some recognition in the art world. His ledger paintings have evolved into a free and more contemporary style; his palette is wildly colorful and his broad sweeping scenes incorporate the pastoral and the modern casually and in turn. Characters in his paintings are whimsical and still boyish-baby chiefs, rows of little ducks-curious choices for such a young man, serious about politics and frat parties.
Conservative politics and an artist's lifestyle aren't a discrepancy for Nelson, even steeped in a Native culture that has few champions among wealthy Republican types. His newer work, he insists, is heavily influenced by his political education but he looks on blankly when asked about a formal art education. Nelson plans to go to law school. Legal and political spheres are the best ways to effect change for his people, he reckons. Asked how he'll fund his schooling, if he maybe sells more paintings than his famous father these days, he dodges the question. "Oh, my mom keeps the books. I wouldn't know." We may never know the real Ben Nelson. How very political.
