Fritz Scholder

Paul Pollaro, Hancock, New Hampshire (acquired as a gift from the artist in 1993)

Acquired by descent from the above by the present owner

Fritz Scholder is best known for his contemporary renditions of Native Americans and other figurative subjects, which blend Pop influences with an inclination towards Abstract Expressionism. Having studied at Sacramento City College with Wayne Thiebaud, his approach to painting is extremely colorful and often incorporates commonplace objects in a manner reminiscent of his teacher. 

Although one-quarter Luiseño tribe on his mother’s side, Scholder initially set out to pave an artistic identity separate from his Native American heritage. “I’ve never called myself an Indian artist,” he explained, “everyone else has.” Scholder’s complex relationship between his art and his culture evolved in 1967 when he debuted a groundbreaking series of works depicting what he called the “real Indians.” From this point onwards, his paintings served to combat the romanticized and cliché narratives of Native Americans that are often perpetuated in American art. As a result, Scholder is celebrated as an inspiration to the new generation of Native American contemporary painters.

Dated 1993, Untitled showcases the rich color, abstracted forms, and surrealist undertones for which Scholder is celebrated. The slender figure rendered in profile is extremely typical of the artist’s approach, and the butterfly wings in particular highlight his surrealist tendencies. Scholder was inspired by the work of Francis Bacon, whose influence is apparent in the present work. Bacon and Scholder shared an affinity for the portraiture genre, but there is also an unsettling and animated quality to Scholder’s subject matter that recalls the Irish-born British figurative painter. 

Scholder spent time at MacDowell Colony in 1993, a contemporary art organization based in New Hampshire. During his stay, he became acquainted with Paul Pollaro, a fellow artist and former director at MacDowell. Scholder executed Untitled directly onto his studio's wall, reportedly having run out of canvas in the moment. Upon gifting the painting to Pollaro, it was removed from the wall and mounted onto its existing stretcher. It has remained in the private collection of Paul Pollaro and his wife Laura for the past three decades, and has never appeared at public auction until now.