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2024 post:
Throughout 2024, we're looking back at the 100 year history of art at the Mulvane. This 1989 painting is by Luiseño artist Fritz Scholder, who often explored and deconstructed popular myths about Native Americans. An innovative and influential artist, Scholder combined realism, tragedy, and spirituality with aspects of Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art.Label
Born in Minnesota in 1937, Fritz Scholder is one of today's best known American artists. His paintings and monoprints utilize distorted human and animal figures in provocative situations, drawing on both Euro-American expressionist traditions (he acknowledges inspiration from Goya, Matisse, Picasso, Bacon and Munch, among others, and influences from his teacher Wayne Thiebaud are apparent in his work) and his Native American roots. Possession #22, presenting the viewer with figures which appear to be masked suggesting mystery and spirituality in its title, is typical of his paintings of the 1980s.Label
2026 social media post: Happy birthday to Luiseño artist Fritz Scholder (1937–2005)! His expressionist paintings challenged stereotypes by presenting Native Americans with complex, modern identities.