Printmakers You Should Know: Juan Pino

It's admittedly been rather busy at the Roswell Museum recently, so as a result I haven't been as mindful of keeping with Printmakers You Should Know. Today, however, we're going to get back into the groove of things by taking a look at the work of Juan Pino (1896-1950).

Juan Pino, Indian with Dog, n.d. woodcut on paper.Image courtesy of RMAC.

A native of Tesuque Pueblo, Pino is the only known Native American artist to work exclusively with printmaking in the 1920s. He learned to make linocuts under Denver artist Charles Kassler, and also modeled for such artists as Gerald Cassidy, Laura Gilpin, and Heinz Warneke.

At first glance, Pino's relief prints appear deceptively straightforward and simple. He uses the contrast between black and white to his advantage, creating scenes that are clear and visually legible.

Juan Pino, Untitled (Church at Tesuque), n.d., linocut on paper. Image courtesy of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe.

What makes Pino's work stand out, however, aside from the boldness of their graphic simplicity, is the subject matter. While most New Mexico artists of the period concentrated on the more seemingly exotic facets of Native American life, namely its dances and rituals, Pino focused on daily tasks such as preparing food, making bricks, and resting.

Juan Pino, Untitled (Woman Polishing Bowl), n.d., linocut on paper. Image courtesy of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe.

Even in prints where he does depict dances, the ethnographic details of the costumes aren't his primary focus. Rather, he concentrates on overall forms and compositional balance to evoke the energy and harmony of the ritual. Pino wasn't interested in creating art for tourists; he wanted to show the life of his village as he knew and experienced it.

Juan Pino, Untitled (Three Buffalo Dancers), n.d., linocut on paper. Image courtesy of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe.

In a lot of respects his work foreshadows the prints of Fritz Scholder and T.C. Cannon, who would make contemporary Native American life in all its complexities the focus of their work.

Pino is not a widely-known artist within the New Mexico canon, but he is definitely a printmaker you should know.

To learn more, see The Carved Line: Block Printmaking in New Mexico by Josie Lopez, 2017.