Fritz Scholder Retrospective at MMK Frankfurt: So-Called Indians Love Cats

The Museum of Modern Art (MMK) in Frankfurt am Main is hosting the first major retrospective of US painter Fritz Scholder (1937-2005), running until October 25. Scholder, who had indigenous family roots, initially swore never to paint 'so-called Indians' but became known for his complex, often flat and colorful depictions that both engage with and subvert clichés of Native Americans. His work, influenced by Pop Art and Francis Bacon, features protagonists in monochrome backgrounds, riding motorcycles or waiting at bus stops, challenging external and internalized stereotypes. The exhibition includes paintings like 'Indian No. 1' (1967) and 'Massacre in America: Wounded Knee' (1972), alongside lithographs showing ordinary Native American life. Scholder's art was collected by Andy Warhol and is held in major US museums.