The Radiance of My People (Native American Navajo Artist)

R.C. Gorman (born 1931) was perhaps the leading Native American artist in the United States. Gorman's themes were universal and transcended the boundaries of the Navajo culture in which he was raised. Gorman's portraits of Navajo women were executed in a free-flowing style with vivid colors. He was sometimes called the "Picasso of American Indian artists." Gorman described himself in his autobiography R.C. Gorman: The Radiance of My People as a descendant of sand painters, silversmiths, chanters, and weavers on both sides of his family. Gorman gave thought to his legacy in his autobiography: "If I'm remembered at all, I'd be very surprised and amused. I don't really think about it or worry about it. But I suppose I would like to be remembered that I was an earnest worker. That I cared. That I know anyone can get what they want if they work hard enough. After all, I'm just a little boy from the reservation who used to herd sheep at Black Mountain."