Fritz Scholder once vowed that he would never paint the Indian. Today, Scholder is seen as one of the greatest American Indian painters ever. His use of American Indians as subject matter combined with his abstract expressionism has created a completely new and different way for individuals to view Native American art. No longer do people think of the knickknack dream catchers or the feathery headdresses when they think of Native American art, Fritz Scholder was one of the first artists to induce this change.
Fritz Scholder, born a quarter Native American, lived in a none-Indian environment growing up. His father was the product of the United States Government’s attempt to assimilate the Native American population through the abuse of the use boarding school system set up to distance youth from their traditional culture. Upon growing up, Scholder moved to Arizona where he taught at an art institute for Native Americans. While teaching there, he changed his views on how he felt about painting traditional Native American subjects. Scholder would never paint in the “traditional” manner, and this became his biggest claim to fame. He took a totally different approach to all things Native American.
Upon seeing Scholder’s work, people usually either like it or they hate it. He knew this and that was part of why he loved his work. Scholder didn’t care what emotion his work evoked, as long as the onlooker felt something. When looking at Scholder’s work, it’s clear he’s accomplished this goal. It’s hard not to feel. Many of his paintings expose the real issues that Native American’s face today from alcoholism to sovereignty to self-identity issues.
I had never heard of Fritz Scholder before I saw an exhibit of his in the Museum of the Native American a few years ago. Upon entering the exhibit, I fell in love with his work. The very way in which he captures his subjects was so appealing to me. I stood for, as my family later told me, way to long just staring at his work. The colors captured me, the use of abstraction was entrancing and the emotional qualities of his paintings were astounding. I was moved by the way he expressed himself and the issues that Native American people continue to face. When I returned to the Museum of the Native American for the first time since that day, I was devastated that the exhibit, which had been showing in the museum for years, wasn’t there. Scholder was an amazing paint, but he was also more than that. He was an influential figure in the movement away from thinking of Native Americans, as well as their art, in a certain way. He took what everyone thought of Native Americans and turned it on it's head, as if to say, 'You thought you knew who we were. You've always thought that, but we define ourselves'. There is beauty in this and respect should be paid to him. Keep this in mind if ever you have the opportunity to see Scholder’s work. Keep in mind that he helped change the world one painting at a time. He knew not everyone would like, but he simply wanted everyone to see what he considered the truth. So, when you finally see his work in person, don't be afraid of the emotion, even if you hate it, know that that’s exactly what Scholder would have wanted; he would have wanted you to feel.
*Biographical information from http://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/scholder/biography.html *
I feel as though sometimes, Native American artists are given too much credit. I don't believe this is true in the case of Fritz Scholder, as his work is powerful and emotional. However, sometimes when I look at a piece done by a Native American artist, I think that the piece would be completely meaningless and stagnant if I didn't know that the artist was Native American. The pieces are often just too context-dependent.
ReplyDeleteSomething to think about in those instances where you feel like an individual is given too much credit because of their background is why they're producing the art. It’s important to look at the art for what it is, sometimes it’s about why they did it and what the art means both to them and the onlooker. Art is something that it’s easy to be critical of, we do it all the time: four out of five stars for a movie, snap shot versus legitimate photography, splashing paint at a canvas versus a Jackson Pollack. What’s important, as an onlooker, is to see past what is immediately in front of you and look into what the artist is trying to say, trying to show and trying to teach us. Not all art is immediately understandable or something one can relate to, but sometimes that type of art turns into the most understandable, relatable and emotionally charged. Try to keep an open mind, think less about who they are and more about what they’re producing and how it can relate to you. Sometimes loosing focus on the tangible details of an artist allows you to better appreciate the art before you.
ReplyDelete