Reimagining History from an Indigenous Perspective: The Graphic Work of Floyd Solomon

Joyce M. Szabo

Nov 2022 · University of New Mexico Press

About this ebook

Few contemporary artists before the 1990s explored the negative impact of the Spanish in the Southwest, but unreflective celebrations of the Columbus Quincentennial brought about portrayals of a more complicated legacy of Columbus’s arrival in the Americas—especially by Indigenous artists. Through a series of etchings, Floyd Solomon of Laguna and Zuni heritage undertook a visual recounting of Pueblo history using Indigenous knowledge positioned to reimagine a history that is known largely from non-Native records. While Solomon originally envisioned more than forty etchings, he ultimately completed just twenty. From nightmarish visions of the Spanish that preceded their arrival to the subsequent return of the Spanish and their continuing effects on the Pueblo people, Solomon provides a powerful visual record. These insightful, probing etchings are included in this important full-color volume showcasing Solomon’s work and legacy. In Reimagining History from an Indigenous Perspective, Joyce M. Szabo positions Solomon among his contemporaries, making this vibrant artist and his remarkable vision broadly available to audiences both familiar with his work and those seeing it for the first time.

About the author

Joyce M. Szabo is the Regents’ Professor of Art History Emerita at the University of New Mexico. She is a specialist in Native American art and museum studies and is the author and editor of several books, including Howling Wolf and the History of Ledger Art (UNM Press).