Ryan Singer (born August 24, 1973) is a Navajo

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

painter living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of the clan, born for . Singer is known for his vibrant Pop Art-inspired takes on Native American and mainstream culture.

As far back as I can remember I have always loved art—drawing, painting, making music. What I like most about it is the freedom to create something—anything—from nothing. – Ryan Singer, 2009

Background

The best thing for a kid is encouragement. My mother always got me art supplies and encouraged me. I think that was all it took. –Ryan Singer, 2009

Born in Cedar City, Utah, Singer grew up on the

Navajo Nation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...

. His hometown was

Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

. As a child Singer gained inspiration from

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

s and watching his uncle Ed Singer painting in his studio. In the summers he attended Navajo sheep camp, where he was taught to understand the

Navajo language Navajo or Navaho (; Navajo: or ) is a Southern Athabaskan language of the Na-Dené family, through which it is related to languages spoken across the western areas of North America. Navajo is spoken primarily in the Southwestern United Stat ...

despite not being a fluent speaker. At the age of 10, Singer studied art books and familiarized himself with not only

Western art The art of Europe, or Western art, encompasses the history of visual art in Europe. European prehistoric art started as mobile Upper Paleolithic rock and cave painting and petroglyph art and was characteristic of the period between the Paleo ...

ists but also Navajo artists like Shonto Begay and Bahe Whitethorne Sr. He also became interested in

Surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to ...

artists such as

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in ...

. Singer, as a youth, became engrossed in punk rock culture and immersing himself in

zine A zine ( ; short for '' magazine'' or '' fanzine'') is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine. Zines are the product of either a single person or of a very s ...

s, skateboarding, and

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

. After graduating from high school in

Window Rock, Arizona Window Rock ( nv, , ) is a census-designated place that serves as the seat of government and capital of the Navajo Nation, the largest territory in North America of a sovereign Native American nation. The capital lies within the boundaries of the ...

, in 1992, he entered Northern Arizona University. There he studied

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. ...

, inspired by his interests in the outdoors and environmentalism. This led to him working for the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

for five years, when he left disappointed with the red tape of the US federal government. In 2004, he entered Arizona State University majoring in fine arts and eventually became a full-time artist.

Current

When not creating art, Singer works as art handler, graphic designer, and mentor for emerging artists. In 2010 he co-founded Native Artists For HOPE, a grassroots organization that provides mentoring, workshops and artistic empowerment to young Native American youth. Singer currently lives and works in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Nathania Tsosie, who runs his website and online sales. His work is represented by a number of private galleries.

Art career

I don’t like to conform. That's what art is about—freedom. That's what being an artist is. The most important thing: Speak your own truth. – Ryan Singer, 2010

Singer pulls from two major sources for his influences: popular culture and elements of Navajo culture. Influences of comic books,

record album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records col ...

covers, and

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

are combined with a Pop Art sensibility in a movement called

Indigenous Futurisms Indigenous Futurisms is a movement consisting of art, literature, comics, games, and other forms of media which express Indigenous perspectives of the future, past, and present in the context of science fiction and related sub-genres. Such perspect ...

. He also cites the visual appeal and stories of Star Wars and classic films and television programs such as Star Trek,

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...

, Flash Gordon and black-and-white horror films. He is also known for his detailed portraits – ranging from

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

wearing a Navajo blanket to

Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the ''Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel fi ...

with a coyote.

Early work

Singer's first completed painting was at the age of 16; a self-portrait with him wearing a Batman T-shirt and his head wrapped up like a

mummy A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay fu ...

. Upon returning to college he was offered two major opportunities: a commission to create illustrations for a book published by

Salina Bookshelf Salina Bookshelf is a publishing company based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Founded in 1994 by teenagers Eric and Kenneth Lockard, non-native but fluent in the Navajo language due to growing up among the Navajo, the company specializes in Navajo-lang ...

and a museum exhibition.

Major works

''Wagon Burner''

In early 2000 Singer had a

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

: "About 10, 15 minutes before going to sleep, I was dreaming with my eyes open.... I could see myself driving on the side of a cliff and I saw the sign. I sketched it out and went to sleep." This experience would lead to one of Singer's most well-known images ''Wagon-burner''; a yellow

road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduce ...

that depicts a

covered wagon The covered wagon or prairie wagon, historically also referred to as an ambulance or prairie schooner, was a vehicle usually made out of wood and canvas that was used for transportation, prominently in 19th-century America. With roots in the he ...

with

flame A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density they ...

s in the back of it, rolling down a hill. It is a pop art response to the

wagon train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...

s that littered the Old American West as they traveled through Navajo and other Native American lands.

''Mutton Stew''

A tribute to

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

, ''Sheep Is Good Food'' takes Warhol's iconic Campbell Soup can screen print and combines it with a Navajo twist. The Campbell Soup can is turned into a can of mutton stew and instead of the Campbell gold seal, Singer placed an image of a sheep being lassoed. The image has become one of Singer's most popular, landing the cover of the ''Phoenix New Times'' in 2010. The original is housed at the

Heard Museum The Heard Museum is a private, not-for-profit museum in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, dedicated to the advancement of American Indian art. It presents the stories of American Indian people from a first-person perspective, as well as exhibitio ...

Notable collections

, Phoenix, AZ *

Navajo Nation Museum The Navajo Nation Museum is a museum and library on Navajo ground in Window Rock, Arizona. Its collections, exhibits, and other activities focus on the cultural history of the Navajo people. Its activities include traditional museum exhibits, a ...

, Window Rock, AZ * The Heritage Center at Red Cloud Indian School, Pine Ridge, SD

Notable exhibitions

* 2020: ''Indigenous Futurisms: Transcending Past / Present / Future'', Museum of Contemporary Native American Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico * 2012: ''Low-Rez: Native American Lowbrow Art'', Eggman and Walrus Art Emporium, Santa Fe, New MexicoNative American Artists go Lowbrow in Low-Rez
Santa Fe.com, accessed 8-12-2012 * 2010: ''Pop!: Popular Culture in Native American Art'', Heard Museum, Phoenix AZ * 2010: ''Transcending Traditions: Contemporary American Indian Artwork'', Mesa Center for Contemporary Arts, Mesa, Arizona * 2010: ''I Didn't Cross the Border; the Border crossed Me'', Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Lloyd Kiva New Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico * 2009: ''From Robots to Pin-ups: Artwork of Ryan Singer'',

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Notable awards

*''Cover Artist'', 2010,

Phoenix New Times ''Phoenix New Times'' is a free digital and print media company based in Phoenix, Arizona. ''New Times'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ...

*''Artist-in-Residence'', 2009,

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is an art museum in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The Eiteljorg houses an extensive collection of visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas as well as Western Ame ...

*''Cover Artist'', 2009, ''Native Peoples Magazine'' *''Adult Smile Award'', 2008,

Santa Fe Indian Market The Santa Fe Indian Market is an annual art market held in Santa Fe, New Mexico on the weekend following the third Thursday in August. The event draws an estimated 150,000 people to the city from around the world. The Southwestern Association for ...

*''Judge's Choice'', 2008, Heard Museum Indian Market *''Honorable Mention'', 15th Annual West Valley Invitational Native American Arts Festival *''Honorable Mention'', Heard Museum Indian Market *''2nd Place in Painting, Drawing & Graphics'', 57th Navajo Festival of Arts & Crafts *''Best in Division'', 2005, Heard Museum Indian Market

References

External links

"Family ties bind Monty and Ryan Singer"
discusses the 2010 exhibition with his cousin, Monty Singer.
"Indian art Pops out of niche"
''The Arizona Republic''

an interview with Ryan and Monty Singer.
"Santa Fe Scene in Scottsdale"
''View From the Plaza'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Ryan Navajo painters American pop artists American contemporary painters Artists from Utah Artists from Albuquerque, New Mexico People from Cedar City, Utah Arizona State University alumni 1973 births Living people 20th-century American painters American male painters Native American male artists 20th-century Native Americans 21st-century Native Americans Native American people from Utah 20th-century American male artists