Author Archives: Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

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About Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

I'm a French artist living near Paris. From 1968 to 1973 I studied at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, then at the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, California, for my BFA. My work for many decades has been informed and inspired by time spent with indigenous communities. Various study trips devoted to the exploration of techniques and natural pigments took me originally to the Dogon of Mali, West Africa, and subsequently to Yanomami communities in Venezuela and Brazil. Over many years, during the winters, I studied the techniques of traditional Bogolan painting. Hand woven fabric is dyed with boiled bark from the Wolo tree or crushed leaves from other trees, then painted with mud from the Niger river which oxidizes in contact with the dye. Through the Dogon and the Yanomami, my interest in the multiplicity of techniques and supports for aesthetic expression influenced my artistic practice. The voyages to the Amazon Rainforest have informed several series of paintings created while living among the Yanomami. The support used is roughly woven canvas prepared with acrylic medium then textured with a mixture of sand from the river bank and lava. This supple canvas is then rolled and transported on expeditions into the forest. They are then painted using a mixture of acrylic colors and Achiote and Genipap, the vegetal pigments used by the Yanomami for their ritual body paintings and on practical and shamanic implements. My concern for the ongoing devastation of the Amazon Rainforest has inspired my films and installation projects. Since 2005, I've created a perfomance and film project - Fire Sculpture - to bring urgent attention to Rainforest issues. To protest against the continuing destruction, I've publicly set fire to my totemic sculptures. These burning sculptures symbolize the degradation of nature and the annihilation of indigenous cultures that depend on the forest for their survival.

La légende huichole du cerf bleu — Peuples autochtones d’Abya Yala

image Voici la légende du cerf bleu, qui a donné le peyotl au peuple Huichol. Tout au long de l’histoire, diverses cultures ont eu recours aux plantes sacrées pour accéder à l’axe du monde, point de connexion entre le monde … Continue reading →

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Boycotts are a crucial weapon to fight environment-harming firms! — Palm Oil Detectives

Bill Laurance, James Cook University Campaigns and boycotts get the attention of large corporations, because they hit them where it hurts: their reputation and market share. In October 2000, I was driving through downtown Boise, Idaho, and nearly careered off … Continue reading →

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A Meaningful Story for Children and Adults – « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Namowë, a Yanomami boy » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro 

« Amazon Rainforest Magic describes the journey of a Yanomami boy through the Amazon rainforest to find a cure for his sick baby sister. He encounters talking animals and plants who help him. The book is written in the vein of “The … Continue reading →

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O Descobrimento — Um canceriano sem lar. — Tiny Life

O Descobrimento Instagram: moahraguarani “Em 1492, os nativos descobriram que eram índios, descobriram que viviam na América, descobriram que estavam nus, descobriram que deviam obediência a um rei e a uma rainha de outro mundo e a um deus de outro … Continue reading →

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Without tropical forests, global temperatures would be 1°c warmer — Palm Oil Detectives

Lausanne, Switzerland (24 March)—New research released today offers the most comprehensive and detailed evidence to date that forests are more important to the climate (globally and locally) than we think due to the way […] Without tropical forests, global temperatures would … Continue reading →

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Una fábula con un mensaje – « La Magia de la Amazonia Las aventuras de Namowë, un niño Yanomami » – ¡Para edades de 8 a 12 a 100 años! – escrito e ilustrado por Barbara Crane Navarro

« La Magia de la Amazonia nos lleva a un mundo que podría parecer fantástico, donde humanos, animales y plantas hablan entre sí, bromean y conspiran entre sí. Lo obvio es que los humanos no están por encima de otras criaturas. … Continue reading →

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Thanksgiving Treat: Map of Indian Reservations over Time — Lara Trace Hentz

Originally posted on Turtle Talk: Here: Thanksgiving Treat: Map of Indian Reservations over Time — Lara Trace Hentz

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Never Underestimate Children’s Creativity — A Teacher’s Reflections

I am still learning.  After 39 years of teaching preschool, I still learn from children.  Thank goodness!  Today was one of those days, or I should say one of those ‘moments’. It happened like this… We’re learning about woodland animals.  … Continue reading →

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Une fable avec un message: « La Magie de l’Amazonie, Les aventures de Namowë, un garçon Yanomami » – Pour les 8 à 12 à 100 ans! – écrit et illustré par Barbara Crane Navarro

« La Magie de l’Amazonie nous fait pénétrer dans un monde qui pourrait sembler fantastique, où les êtres humains, les animaux et les plantes se parlent, plaisantent, conspirent entre eux. La chose évidente est que les humains ne sont pas au-dessus … Continue reading →

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Ritual do Kuarup reforça laços familiares e culturais dos indígenas do Xingu — Ecoamazônia

O Kuarup é um ritual fúnebre sagrado que mantém viva a cultura e a tradição de diversas etnias do Parque do Xingu (MT). O evento ocorre sempre um ano após a morte dos parentes indígenas. 35 more words Ritual do Kuarup … Continue reading →

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