Fritz Scholder Original Colorful Painting of a Plains Indian [SOLD]

After having begun his career saying he would never paint the Indian, on a winter night in 1967, Scholder—a trained abstract painter with postmodern sensibilities—painted his first Indian. His creative voice was a breath of fresh air within the world of Native art. Some of the images were, at the time of their release, shocking and controversial because of their honest and unflinching portrayals of Indians as Scholder saw them. These images have aged well, both visually and thematically, as they were created by a compositional genius with a kind and empathetic spirit. Scholder would go on to create hundreds of images of Indians. These images have become his most iconic works.

This particular piece is an extremely colorful and vibrant one, but yet it is simple. Scholder has painted a Native American man wearing traditional regalia, including a large, feathered headdress, a leather jacket with fringes and beads, and a painted face. The man is depicted from his right side, so the viewer sees this perspective. His face is stern and commanding, and he carries a tremendous amount of poise.

The colors in this painting are wide ranging. Scholder used beige shading pretty heavily, as well as multiple tones of purple, dark and light blue, red, green, and black. The use of black is fairly extensive and adds a rich contrast to the other bright colors of the painting.

A handful of Scholder's most striking works shelve the humor and irony in favor of a more straightforward depiction of the beauty of Native culture. This painting of a single Indian man is a fine example of Scholder doing exactly that. His brushwork is expressive and full of life, his color choices bold and impactful. He chose, combined, and blended colors masterfully, resulting in a wealth of depth and texture that becomes more rewarding with repeated viewings.

The painting is signed in the upper right hand corner Scholder. The painting is framed with the entire paper exposed. The natural color frame is traditionally used on fine art images of contemporary style.

Fritz Scholder (1937-2005) was an influential painter who was by birth one-quarter Luiseño Indian, a California Mission Tribe. He was born in Minnesota, spent two decades in the Dakotas, and lived in Galisteo, NM and Scottsdale, AZ. Scholder came to Santa Fe in 1964 to teach advanced painting and art history at the new Institute of American Indian Arts, a school established by the United States Department of the Interior. Scholder had obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Arizona in 1964 before moving to Santa Fe and joining IAIA. Scholder enjoyed a long and successful career and is regarded today as one of the most innovative and influential Native artists.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Fritz Scholder Original Colorful Painting of a Plains Indian is from a client of Adobe Gallery

Recommended Reading: Super Indian: Fritz Scholder, 1967-1980 by John P. Lukavic and Kent Logan

TAGS: Luiseño Indian, a California Mission Tribe, Santa Fe, paintings, lithographs, Albuquerque, Fritz Scholder, Luiseño Indian Painter