Fritz Scholder once vowed never to paint Indians. He claimed he was not an American Indian artist, but he was. He claimed his art was not political, but it polarized the art world. For every position he took, he also explored the opposite perspective.
Super Indian: Fritz Scholder, 1967–1980, is a groundbreaking exhibition of more than 40 rarely seen, monumental paintings and lithographs by the renowned twentieth-century artist. It is the first to explore how Scholder blended figurative and pop art influences to create colorful, compelling, and revolutionary images.
Though he was influenced by abstract expressionists including Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, as well as painters Francis Bacon, Francisco de Goya, and Paul Gauguin, Fritz Scholder’s work was purely his own. His art reveals the raw reality of being an American Indian.
This exhibition draws its title from the iconic painting Super Indian No. 2 (above), which is one of nine Scholder paintings promised as gifts to the DAM by collectors and museum supporters Vicki and Kent Logan. It begins with Scholder’s controversial Indian series, started in 1967, and ends with his 1980 Indian Land paintings, which marked a seismic shift in palette and subject matter.
Visitors to Super Indian will be taken on a thematic exploration following the development of Scholder’s style and themes: Early Indian series, pop art, psychological portraiture, stereotypes and representation and dark, mysterious subjects. Following its Denver debut, the exhibition will travel to the Phoenix Art Museum (Feb. 26, 2016–June 5, 2016) and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Overland Park, Kansas (June 23, 2016–Sept. 18, 2016).
Fritz Scholder (Luiseño), Super Indian No. 2, 1971. Oil on canvas; 90 x 60 in. Denver Art Museum: Promised Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum © Estate of Fritz Scholder. Photography Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum
Fritz Scholder, Indians with Umbrellas, 1971. Lithograph: 22 × 30 in. Denver Art Museum: Purchased with Modern & Contemporary Department acquisition funds, 1973.53.7. © Estate of Fritz Scholder.
Fritz Scholder, Insane Indian No. 26, 1972. Acrylic paint on canvas; 68 × 54 in. Promised Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum. © Estate of Fritz Scholder.
Fritz Scholder, American Portrait with One Eye, 1975. Acrylic paint on canvas; 80 × 68 in. Collection of Vicki and Kent Logan. © Estate of Fritz Scholder.
Fritz Scholder, American Portrait with Flag, 1979. Oil paint on canvas; 40 × 35 in.. Courtesy of American Museum of Western Art—The Anschutz Collection. Photo courtesy William J. O’Connor. © Estate of Fritz Scholder.

Super Indian: Fritz Scholder, 1967-1980, is organized by the Denver Art Museum. It is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is presented with generous support from Vicki and Kent Logan. Additional funding provided by John Brooks Incorporated, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign, and the citizens who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine, CBS4, Comcast Spotlight, and The Denver Post.