Inscription on back: Robert Mancuso, a member of the Sioux Valley band, residing in Brandon, MB, has been developing his art since childhood. It is only recently, however, that he's been working in the native style, reflecting the spirituality that comes from the native view of things. He has undertaken native art classes at Brandon University that he says has greatly influenced his direction. He says it is like stepping through a new door into a world full of wonders waiting to be explored through his art. Contemporary native art is exciting and challenging to work in. He says 'it always has a horizon'. This picture, depicted in ink, represents the four elements showing the sun as fire, buffalo as earth, eagle as wind, and the lines as water. He has tried to convey the feeling of the spiritual force as it moves, with boldness across the vastness of the plains.
"Beardy's brilliant application of color is drawn from his dreams. The geography of his paintings is a blend of the visible universe and the invisible powers that animate the visible, and give it life and meaning. The time in which the works are set is mythological time, before history. The paintings are not separate from the major themes of Jackson's life and in fact parallel his own growth and spiritual development. They dealt not only with the mysteries of matter but also with those of creation and life; they sought to harmonize the human individual with the universe, Jackson's alchemy is performed between two socio-political worlds. He struggled to be effective and to balance his own life between two powerful unseen Manitou forces." (Colleen Cutschall, p. 22)
