Book Description
for Patrick Desjarlait by Patrick Desjarlait
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Patrick DesJarlait was an artist who belonged to the Red Lake Chippewa Band (Anishinabe) of northern Minnesota. More than 20 years ago, Williams tape-recorded the interviews forming the basis for this book featuring DesJarlait's life and art, along with his comments about reservation life in the 1920s, boarding school, and his development as an artist. During World War II, he worked as a film animator for the U.S. Navy and had a short stint as the art director at a relocation camp where Japanese-Americans were held. His paintings employ bright, rich tones to portray the many traditions of his people. Although DesJarlait did not receive wide recognition or acclaim while alive, his career has inspired younger American Indian artists, and his paintings were pivotal in the development of contemporary American Indian art. (Ages 8-14)
CCBC Choices 1995. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 1995. Used with permission.