R. C. Gorman: The Posters

Rudolph Carl Gorman (1931-2005) was a Native American artist of the Navajo Nation. Referred to as "the Picasso of American Indian art" by the New York Times, his paintings are primarily of Native American women and characterized by fluid forms and vibrant colors, though he also worked in sculpture, ceramics, and stone lithography. He was also an avid lover of cuisine, authoring four cookbooks, (with accompanying drawings) called Nudes and Food. "R. C. Gorman: The Posters" presents the acclaimed Navajo artist's work in a way that further explores the powerful understatements of his studies of Navajo women. Through Gorman's art we come to know her - nursing babies, picking corn, building fires, walking in the desert, contemplating and occupying space softly and with a monumental fullness. All of this is captured magnificently in the post medium. It was the people of his land who taught Gorman about the ways of his ancestors and their strength, courage, and struggle to retain their dignity. Growing up near Canyon de Chelly, he was exposed to the ancient ways and traditions of his people, to the cave paintings and petroglyphs that remain amid the ruins of the Anasazi in the land of the Navajo. It is this background that remains the source of his inspiration. From his heritage come his rich evocations of Navajo rug designs, Yei figures, ceremonial masks and, above all, Navajo women.