“Man Number 4” c. 1980s by Fritz Scholder [SOLD]

From 1977 onward, Fritz Scholder began working with the printmaking process known as Monotype. The monoprint is the final result from this printmaking process, delivering a unique, original print different from Lithograph, Intaglio, and Relief printing processes. 

The Monotype Printing Process

• Prepare the Plate: Paint a metal or plastic plate with ink, oil/acrylic, or watercolor-based pigments.

• Position the Paper: Place paper directly over the painted plate.

• Run Through the Press: Pass the plate and paper through a printing press.

• Reveal the Artwork: Remove the paper to reveal the finished monoprint, complete with distinct plate marks along the edges of the composition.

In this monoprint, "Man Number 4," Scholder pressed a small 8 x 8 inch copper plate onto a larger piece of 17⅝ x 23¾ inch paper. Utilizing the surrounding negative space creates a compelling sense of depth and isolation, while dynamic brushwork, heavy pigments, and light hues of reddish-brown and dark black draw the eye downward from the upper left corner toward the central standing figure.

Centered within the composition, the figure is enveloped by movement and texture. A noticeable fingerprint left on the plate reveals the artist's literal hand in the printmaking process, lending a personal touch to this work executed in ink and oil/acrylic pigments. Like many of Scholder's oil paintings, the composition is abstracted with a pulse that feels so alive. This monoprint is signed under the composition Man #4 Fritz Scholder with his stylistic signature. 

About the Artist: Fritz Scholder

As a modern American artist who was by birth one-quarter Luiseño Native American (Payómkawichum), art became an act of cultural appreciation for Fritz William Scholder (1937-2005). 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. He had obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree at the University of Arizona in 1964 before moving to Santa Fe and the Institute. He later worked with the prominent Tamarind Institute, a leading center for lithography.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: This painting "Man Number 4" c. 1980s by Fritz Scholder is from a client of Adobe Gallery. Executed by the artist at the Rezvani Workshop in Scottsdale, AZ. 

Reference and Recommended Reading: Fritz Scholder: Paintings & Monotypes by Fritz Scholder

TAGS: Fritz Scholder, Luiseño, Native American art, Santa Fe, Lithographs