Fritz Scholder Lithograph of Tomato Soup in Kewa Bowl [SOLD]

Celebrated Luiseño artist Fritz Scholder could undeniably be called "controversial", and despite early in his career saying he would never paint Indians, he then became known most prominently as a painter of American Indian subject matter. His paintings were rarely traditional, however, and he often made dark, thought provoking pieces which invite the viewer to reconsider their view of what it means to be a Native American in modern day America. Some of his most famous works include depictions of Natives in uncomfortable contemporary American settings, such as an Indian man in a bar with a beer can, a Buffalo Dancer eating an ice cream cone, or an Indian draped in an American flag.

This lithograph is certainly one of those which provokes the viewer to think deeply about a difficult subject. Scholder set a historic, traditional Kewa Pueblo pottery bowl as the primary focus of the scene. It has all of the elements of a time-honored, customary bowl, except for one twist. The bowl is filled with tomato soup. Usually coming from a can bought cheaply at a garden variety, corporate American grocery store, tomato soup served in a dignified Pueblo bowl may be quite the irony. It seems Scholder is trying to convey the degradation of what has long been considered sacred to these historically highly spiritual people, the Pueblo Indians. It's a rather unusual scene, but it speaks volumes in its simplicity.

As an abstract painter, Scholder initially struggled with lithography. The planning and foresight required to successfully create multicolored images proved to be challenging to an artist whose work was often created very spontaneously. Despite his initial struggles, he very quickly came into his own as a printmaker and discovered that the medium served his unique compositional voice very effectively. This was a technique he went on to master over the course of his career.

The lithograph was completed in an edition of 100. This is number 77 of 100, which is shown in the bottom left corner, and it is signed Scholder in the bottom right.

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 Lithograph of Tomato Soup in Kewa Bowl 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