Comanche Motion, Acrylic on Canvas by Eric Tippeconnic

A Comanche warrior gallops onto the scene, his body and horse painted with symbols of importance to the Comanche people. Resolutely, he charges forward, adapting to an ever-changing historical landscape, while retaining an unbroken connection with his Numunu roots.

Filled with symbolism and meaning, Eric Tippeconnic's paintings highlight the strength, beauty, and grace of the Comanche past and present. The paintings are rich with history and the unbroken connection the Comanche people have with their roots, but they are not romanticized or stagnant expressions of a bygone era. The vibrancy of colors and movement of the Comanche people seen in each painting serve as metaphors for a people that are both part of a bygone historical era and also a living, thriving, contemporary nation.

Created especially for the Bullock Museum by Eric Tippeconnic, Comanche Motion brings together the Comanche symbolism common in Eric's work. A handprint on a war pony indicates that the rider has accomplished the brave feat of touching an enemy in battle, referred to as counting coup. Lightning bolts painted on the horses are symbols of speed and ferocity. Eagle feathers were highly prized and given to an individual when something significant was accomplished. When a warrior had enough feathers to make a headdress, it symbolized his fierceness as a warrior. The horse completely transformed Comanche culture in the late 17th century as the Comanche people acquired large horse herds. 

Eric Tippeconnic is a historian and visual artist with a special emphasis on painting. He is an original American on his father's side and a first generation American on his mother's side.