From 1939–1942, the Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe sponsored a New Deal Federal Art Project initiative to create a portfolio of fifteen Navajo weaving designs drawn from its collections, and hired artist Louie Ewing to orchestrate the effort. The silkscreen printing process was a relatively new technology to the United States, so Ewing, with assistance from fellow artist Eliseo Rodriguez, had to essentially invent his own version of it. Two hundred of each print were produced. Prints were distributed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal government “Indian service schools,” as well as universities, libraries, and museums nationwide for instructional and educational purposes.
Color: Red
Navajo Blanket Portfolio – Plate 2
From 1939–1942, the Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe sponsored a New Deal Federal Art Project initiative to create a portfolio of fifteen Navajo weaving designs drawn from its collections, and hired artist Louie Ewing to orchestrate the effort. The silkscreen printing process was a relatively new technology to the United States, so Ewing, with assistance from fellow artist Eliseo Rodriguez, had to essentially invent his own version of it. Two hundred of each print were produced. Prints were distributed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and federal government “Indian service schools,” as well as universities, libraries, and museums nationwide for instructional and educational purposes.
Redwood Trees
In Redwood Trees, Elbridge Ayer Burbank accomplishes a miniature painting (the size of a postcard) of a monumental subject, achieving a sense of scale and grandeur through a tiny, brightly clad figure and dramatic lighting.
Untitled (Taking Down a Finished Rug)
Untitled (Taking Down a Finished Rug) is an excellent example of the problematic Studio Style of Native American painting taught by non-Native art teacher Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School in the 1930s. Harrison Begay (Diné/Navajo) was one of many Native artists initially trained there as a painter. The Studio Style defined Native painting for a generation and its influence is still felt today. It is characterized by formal and conceptual flatness: blank backgrounds, outlined forms, lack of perspective and shading, and an emphasis on “traditional” themes.