35 Years at the C.N. Gorman Museum @ UC DAVIS ARTIST BIOS by Amber Bill R.C. Gorman (Navajo) Rudolph Carl Gorman (1932-2005) was born, of the Tl’ āshchí clan, on the Navajo Reservation in 1932. His father, C.N. Gorman, was a highly regarded artist and teacher. Growing up in a traditional Navajo hogan and herding sheep, Gorman began drawing at the age of three. A student at Arizona State College (now Northern Arizona University), he studied literature and art, but left school to enlist in the Navy in 1951. Stationed on the Mariana Islands, Gorman attend English and journalism classes at Guam Territorial College, but never abandoned his passion for drawing. After his discharge, he used his talent as an illustrator for an article in School of Arts Magazine at Arizona State College. Later, he went on to enroll in art classes at Mexico City College and San Francisco State College. His dream of receiving a teaching degree was never realized; however, his perseverance as an artist was rewarded. In 1978, the College of Ganado awarded Gorman an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts. Like his father, R.C Gorman became a highly accomplished and regarded national Native artist of the Southwest. After opening a gallery in Tubac, Arizona, Gorman conducted numerous workshops and started to experiment with lithography, studying under Jose Sanchez in Mexico City. R.C. Gorman captured national attention due to his archetypal portrayals of Navajo women in paintings, prints, ceramics and sculptures. He produced works using different media including acrylics, oils and oil pastels, silk screen, etching and lithographs. In many of his works, Gorman had his subjects engaging in simple activities, which became his focal point. Ultimately, the physical presence and spiritual life of the subject captivated his motivation as opposed to the contextual background. His images often depicted the face, hand and feet with intricate detail; in truth, watercolor wash full-bodied Indian women became his trademark. ___________________________________________________________ Carl Nelson Gorman, Kin-ya-onny-beyeh (Navajo) Born on the Navajo Reservation, Carl Nelson Gorman (1907-1998) was a member of the Khinyá’ áni clan (the Towering House People). Gorman began his career with his service in the U.S. Marines during WWII as a member of the elite group of Navajo Code Talkers who translated military intelligence into Navajo codes that were never broken. After the war, Gorman studied art at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. To add to a long list of accomplishments, C.N. Gorman directed the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild and was involved in and led a Navajo history project which conducted oral interviews with Navajo elders. After his time at Otis Art Institute, he became a technical illustrator for Douglass Aircraft, established his own silk-screen company and became an instructor in Native American Art at the University of California, Davis. Gorman’s work is displayed in national and international galleries and is known as an innovator in a variety of styles and media. In 1969, UC Davis faculty member Jack Forbes invited Gorman to help develop the Native American Studies program. As faculty, Gorman created the Native American art studio workshop. To further his teaching, he established the museum to perpetuate Native art and to educate students of work by Native artists. Since 1973, the museum furthered his vision to continue exhibiting contemporary Native art. Upon his retirement from UC Davis, faculty, students, and community members honored his contribution to Native American Studies and Native American contemporary art by establishing the museum in his name. Gorman also taught Navajo language courses at D-Q University and gave numerous lectures n Navajo culture to local community groups. Art works by Carl Gorman
Posted on: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 20:32:16 +0000
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