R. C. Gorman, Navajo Painter Video (DVD)

Growing up in a traditional Navajo Hogan, his grandmother encouraged him to become an artist. His first subjects were Mickey Mouse and Shirley Temple drawn on the cliffs while tending sheep. From this humble beginning, he received a scholarship to study in Mexico. Learning techniques from the the Mexican social realists: Diego Rivera and Rufin Tamayo. He fell in love with the forms and colors they achieved. He incorporated the abstract shape to create a recognizable and personal style. He also used stone lithography from the master printer Jose Sanchez, and used the technique to create multiple images. He had the first Native American owned gallery and he was the only living artist featured in the "Masterworks of the American Indian" show at the Metropolitan Museum in New York.