Untitled (Screaming Indian)

Inscriptions

Signed, in graphite, lower right: Scholder; numbered, in graphite, lower left: 52 100 [pellet between]

Label

For the first half of his artistic career, Fritz Scholder vowed never to paint Native American figures because he believed this subject had become a romanticized cliché. He broke this vow in the late 1960s, determined to create a true representation of Native American by a Native artist. Scholder pushed past comfortable stereotypes, venturing into unchartered visual territory. In Untitled (Screaming Indian), the figure’s tightly squinted eyes and gaping mouth communicate a powerful cry. With no visible body, the suspended head could allude to greater themes of displacement and cultural loss. Instead of presenting the noble savage stereotype that was commonly embraced in popular culture, Scholder depicts a man who is emotive and fragmented. As Indian protests and demands for political action persist, Scholder continued to reframe our perspective on Native Americans who demand equality.

Reprinted below is an excerpt from an op ed in The Dartmouth from March 1979. In this piece, minority student groups defend their demonstration expressing dissatisfaction with the College’s treatment of minority students. How does this textual call for equality and a broadening of perspectives differ from Scholder’s painting?

From the 2020 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 99, When Art Intersects History, curated by Allison Carrey '20, Class of 1954 Intern

Course History

WRIT 5, Expository Writing, William Craig, Winter 2014

Exhibition History

A Space for Dialogue 99, When Art Intersects History, Alison Carey, Class of 2020, Class of 1954 Intern, Alvin P. Gutman Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 7-April 26, 2020. l

Native American Art at Dartmouth: Highlights from the Hood Museum of Art, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, October 8, 2011-March 12, 2012.

Publication History

Allison Carey, A Space for Dialogue 99, When Art Intersects History, Hanover, New Hampshire: Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, 2020.

Provenance

The artist; Varujan Boghosian, Hanover, New Hampshire; given to present collection, 1993.

This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.

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Subjects