Fritz Scholder- Native American Visual Artist

 http://fritzscholder.com/gallery.php

Fritz Scholder was a visual artist who was 1/4 Native American, descending from the Luiseño tribe. Scholder was recognized as an important figure who changed the perspective of Native American life and art. "His target was the loaded national cliche and guilt of the dominant culture" (http://fritzscholder.com/biography.php). Fritz's art contained psychological disturbing motifs with skulls, crucification, and the "real Indian," His paintings broke away from the typical tribal depictions of Native Americans and continually contained the rejection of white culture by the Indians (http://www.nmai.si.edu/static/exhibitions/scholder/introduction.html). Scholder's paintings were controversial but because of him not being raised Native American, his perspective of the Native American life could not be denied.

http://fritzscholder.com/gallery.php

Scholder, Fritz. Indian with Beer Can. 1969. Painting. Smithsonian, n.p

I want to know why he made his paintings so controversial. His grandmother and previous ancestors were Native American and he, himself, is of native american decent, so why would he make the paintings dark and unsettling? 

Lane, Anne Marie. "Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian." Library Journal, 1 Feb. 2009, p. 70. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=avl_randsch&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA199600217&it=r&asid=6ec89650553886dd156e595066d40820. Accessed 21 Nov. 2016.

Introduction - Fritz Scholder: Indian/Not Indian

http://www.nmai.si.edu/static/exhibitions/scholder/introduction.html

Fritz Scholder | Official Website | Biography

http://fritzscholder.com/biography.php

Native American Class Work- 11/09/16

In class, we read a text about Native Americans from the 1800’s. The text consisted of how the Indians lived, what they lived in, and what they looked like. The descriptions of the Native Americans made them seem like they were bad, inhumane people, that kept the scalps of their enemies. The words savage and savagery were used often in pair with the Native Americans. Savage is defined as an uncivilized person and savagery means being fierce and cruel as well as uncivilized. Although the text does refer to the Native Americans as Indians, when talking about them killing people and burning down things, they suddenly become savages.  If I were an American student reading this text as part of my schoolwork, it would greatly shape the way I viewed Native Americans. Assuming that I haven’t had any contact with them, after reading this text, I would fear them and think that all they wanted from my family, my town, and me was to fight and kill us all. Yes, there is the story of the Native American princess Pocahontas who saved John Smith, but even the text said that there was no affirmation that the story was true. Having no prior knowledge of Native Americans and their behavior, being assigned the reading would make me fear Native Americans and not want them around.