Jay Polite Laber sculpture detail, north of Babb, MT on Hwy 89
One major target for the Montana trip was to make some images of Jay Polite Laber's fabulous sculptures marking the northern boundary of the Blackfeet Reservation. I fell in love with his work when I saw it last month.
His playful use of car parts as art material has a deeper meaning. The sentries' scraps originate from the wreckage of a devastating 1963 flood on tribal lands. This Montana Magazine article tells more about the flood and the "rez wrecks".
All up and down on Highway 89, I find stories like this one, of respect, reinvention, and resurrection--of the west, of our stories, of ourselves. I hope to tell them all soon. And to meet Mr. Laber.
P.S. if you are in Browning, MT, stop by the hospital (follow the blue "H" sign, it's north of 89) to see his absolutely stunning sculpture, Medicine Circle, in the parking lot.
