Art is created using a universal language comprised of visual elements – line, color, and shape. Artists choose to combine these elements in an infinite array of creative combinations based on cultural influences and styles as well as personal preferences and material limitations. Native American artists communicate with their audiences visually using an almost infinite variety of materials and styles, whether through broad lines on a ceramic vessel or colorful patterns on a beaded bandolier bag. Native American artists embody the past, present, and future of their communities in their art.  In the early 20th century Euro-American artists began to closely look at Native American art for inspiration. Modern Euro-American artists in the 20th and 21st centuries have looked at Native American art to motivate their own artistic production.