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.

“Si están arrasando la Amazonía en busca de oro hay un mercado de compradores. ¿Quién compra este oro? ¿Las grandes marcas y marcas en el mundo de la moda?” ¿Quién entonces compra este oro como baratijas? ¡Asegúrate de que no eres tú!

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

¡POR FAVOR, ESCUCHA EL MENSAJE DEL CHAMÁN YANOMAMI – ¡EL SÚPLICA DE LA SELVA! « ¡Oye, míranos!Te vemosTratamos de mostrarteNunca te molestaste en aprender nuestro idiomaSiempre estabas mirando hacia abajoTe avisamos desde el principioLa tierra esta vivaEsta tierra no puede … Continue reading →

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Processo de descolonização — Existe Guarani em São Paulo — Tiny Life

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Instagram: sioduhi Enquanto estilista não tenho referências fora do meu ciclo ancestral, não posso jamais dizer que EU estou abrindo portas, mas sim lembrar que os que me antecederam foram o Tio Ramiro Gonçalves, o alfaiate, e a Tia Regina … Continue reading →

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13 Reasons Why You Should Boycott Gold For The Yanomami People! — Palm Oil Detectives

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Hunger for Gold in the Global North is fueling a living hell in the Global South. Here are 13 reasons why you should #BoycottGold4Yanomami 13 Reasons Why You Should Boycott Gold For The Yanomami People — Palm Oil Detectives

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“Se eles estão devastando a Amazônia em busca de ouro, há um mercado comprador. Quem compra este ouro? As grandes marcas e marcas do mundo da moda?” Quem então compra esse ouro como bugigangas? Por favor, certifique-se de que não é você!

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

POR FAVOR, OUÇA A MENSAGEM DO XAMÃ YANOMAMI – O APELO DA FLORESTA! « Ei – olhe para nós!Nós vemos vocêTentamos te mostrarVocê nunca se preocupou em aprender nossa línguaVocê estava sempre olhando para baixoAvisamos desde o inícioA terra está vivaEsta … Continue reading →

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Are Attacks Actually Confessions? — A Church for Starving Artists

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

It looks like the current divides in our world have something to do with history. I once got into a conversation with a friend who was loudly complaining about people on welfare. As he ripped “Welfare Moms” I remembered that … Continue reading →

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History Slam 214: Indigenous Voices, Resources, & Learning in Canadian Classrooms — Active History

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

By Sean Graham In its final report, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission included several Calls to Action regarding education. One of these was to develop and implement learning resources for all students in Canada so that more Indigenous voices, perspectives, … Continue reading →

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“S’ils dévastent l’Amazonie à la recherche d’or, il y a un marché d’acheteurs. Qui achète cet or ? Les grandes marques et marques du monde de la mode ?” Qui achète alors cet or comme bibelots? Assurez-vous que ce n’est pas vous !

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

S’IL VOUS PLAÎT, ÉCOUTEZ LE MESSAGE DU CHAMAN YANOMAMI – LE PLAIDOYER DE LA FORÊT TROPICALE ! « Hey – Regardez nous Nous vous voyons Nous avons essayé de vous montrer Vous n’avez jamais pris la peine d’apprendre notre langue … Continue reading →

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An Indigenous peoples’ history of the United States

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

Originally posted on Stephen Jones: a blog:
Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shores, the…

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New research: Indirect sourcing of up to 90% of palm oil from Cargill, Wilmar, Musim Mas cannot be traced and is linked to deforestation! — Palm Oil Detectives

Posted on May 21, 2022 by Barbara Crane Navarro - Rainforest Art Project

New research: Indirect sourcing of up to 90% of palm oil from Cargill, Wilmar, Musim Mas cannot be traced and is linked to deforestation New research: Indirect sourcing of up to 90% of palm oil from Cargill, Wilmar, Musim Mas cannot … Continue reading →

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“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 make sure it’s not you!

Posted on May 20, 2022 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 →

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