Author Archives: Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Unknown's avatar

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.

The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 4 – « Fire Sculpture Performance at the Mairie du 2ème, Paris, France » 4:18

Posted on October 20, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« Fire Sculpture Performance at the Mairie du 2ème, Paris, France » alternates scenes from the « Fire Performance » burning of one of my totemic sculptures during the collective art exhibition at the Mairie de 2ème, Paris, France – in support of the Indigenous … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 3 – « Washington – Amazon » 3:44

Posted on October 19, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« Washington – Amazon » alternates scenes from two art installations of my paintings and totemic sculptures in Washington D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, USA, with the « Fire Performance » burning of one of my totemic sculptures in the Yanomami village of Arata-Teri in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 2 – « The Fire Sculpture » 2:26

Posted on October 18, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« The Fire Sculpture » alternates scenes of the « Fire Performance » burning of one of my totemic sculptures at Le Chaufferie in St. Maurice, France, with scenes of Yanomami daily life in their forest and village and the « Fire Performance » burning of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Peoples and Wildlife in Peril! – a series of short films by Barbara Crane Navarro – 1 – « The Way of the Shaman » 2:40

Posted on October 17, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

« The Way of the Shaman » alternates scenes from an art installation of my paintings and totemic sculptures at the Eyedrum Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with scenes of Yanomami shamanic initiation and daily life in the forest and the village. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

21st Century COLONIALISM – implemented by Corporations and NGOs? Whose Survival is at stake here, Survival? The survival of the rainforests and Indigenous peoples or of Cartier and others in the gold and diamond jewelry industry? – If you plan to donate to an NGO, please read this first! – 2025!

Posted on October 16, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

“Man’s folly hath enhanced the value of gold and silver because of their scarcity; whereas nature, like a kind parent, hath freely given us the best things, such as air, earth, and water, but hath hidden from us those which … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Hey, Survival, Which side are you on? – The side of Indigenous Peoples or the Gold Industry? – I’d like to point out that #5 of your “Six Point Plan” helps ONLY the Gold Industry!

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Barrick Gold Corporation: Legal gold mining destroys forests and contaminates water sources globally! An open pit at Barrick Gold Corp.’s Veladero gold mine in Argentina’s San Juan province. The mine has estimated reserves of 10 million oz of gold. – … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Barbara Crane Navarro: Artist & Activist In Her Own Words — Palm Oil Detectives

Posted on October 14, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Bio: Barbara Crane Navarro Barbara Crane Navarro is a French artist, writer, Indigenous and animal activist who lives near Paris. From 1968 to 1973 she studied at Rhode Island School of Design, then she went on to study at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

“If they are devastating the Amazon in search of gold there is a buyer’s market. Who buys this gold? The big brands and brands in the fashion world?” Who then buys this gold as trinkets? Please, please make sure it’s not you!

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE YANOMAMI SHAMAN’S MESSAGE – THE PLEA OF THE RAINFOREST! – « Hey – Look at me We see you We tried to show you You never bothered to learn our language You were always looking down … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

The Earth and Indigenous peoples are dying for our Gold Obsession! Please Choose the Right to Life over Gold Profits and Vanity!

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

photo: Barrick Gold Corporation Gold is a colonial relic that we urgently need to recognize as essentially worthless – the deforestation, pollution and catastrophic impacts on water, wildlife and Indigenous communities is mainly for futile and superficial jewelry and financial … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

L’uso non autorizzato di immagini di una tribù amazzonica sul sito web di Cartier ha suscitato forti critiche! Gli Yanomami dicono: “Come può un’azienda di gioielli d’oro, contro la quale noi Yanomami ci opponiamo, usare l’immagine degli Yanomami?” & “Chiunque compri un anello d’oro è parte del crimine!”

Posted on October 11, 2025 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Sei tu? Bambino Yanomami che soffre di malnutrizione e avvelenamento da mercurio direttamente collegato all’estrazione dell’oro Pubblicità Cartier L’uso non autorizzato di immagini di una tribù amazzonica sul sito web di Cartier ha suscitato forti critiche Il marchio ha giustificato … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment