Learn more about Gilleon Designed Medallions.

This painting marks a subtle departure from Gilleon’s signature style, embracing a more abstract and graphic approach that emphasizes the power of symbolism. The war shield, affixed to a spear and planted in the ground beside a bison skull, would convey a clear warning: “this is a good time to leave” or “this is a place to avoid” for anyone outside the Blackfeet community.

Gilleon has long admired the bold, graphic art found on tipis and war shields, valuing how these designs communicated important cultural messages with immediacy and clarity.