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Collection Spotlight: Fritz Scholder
Introduction
Fritz Scholder died February 10, 2005 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Renown for his Indian paintings, Fritz Scholder V combined contemporary culture with tradition to capture the realities faced by Native Americans. In doing this, he transformed the cliché tourist image of the Indian and “forever broke the mold of what Indian painting had been.“ (LA Times article)
Scholder, however, did not limit himself to painting Indians. He traveled throughout the country and world, experimenting with a diverse array of subject material and mediums. He became interested in Western matinee cowboys and fascinated by his travels in Rome. His repertoire expanded to include printmaking, photography and sculpture.
The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Scholder has been featured in film documentaries produced by PBS and his work continues to be displayed in all over the world.
Click above image to view a segment from American Indian Artists: Fritz Scholder. Courtesy of PBS (Quicktime required).
“As you can see, the Indian and his work has become a curio. The Indian must step out of the arena of clichés and trinkets. He must get out of the trading posts and he must become his own person. Until the Indian artist can merge his own strong background with contemporary idioms, he really cannot be his own person and make his own statement.”
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