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.

Neocolonialismo – Estrazione dell’oro legale e illegale e altre industrie minerarie contro le popolazioni Indigene, la fauna selvatica e l’acqua!

Miniera d’oro legale – image: Bloomberg “Ogni giorno mi sveglio e tutto ciò che vedo intorno a me è dolore e tristezza perché Barrick Gold ha ucciso tutto qui. Tutto è morto.” dice Torres, la cui famiglia vive a Las Lagunas … Continue reading

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Nature and Magic Unite! « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « Amazon Rainforest Magic: The Adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami Girl is a captivating journey into the heart of Yanomami life and the enchanted forest they call home. Through … Continue reading

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A Spellbinding Tale! « Amazon Rainforest Magic, The adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl » – For ages 8 to 12 to 100!  – written and illustrated by Barbara Crane Navarro – NOW ON KINDLE, TOO!

An illustration from Amazon Rainforest Magic, the adventures of Yarima, a Yanomami girl « A fable of courage and enchantment, this children’s fantasy-adventure weaves myth, ecology, and the resilience of Indigenous peoples into a story that feels both urgent and timeless.  Through … Continue reading

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« The only reason the forest does not yet turn to chaos is that a few great shamans are still making their powerful spirits dance to protect it! »

« The shaman’s xapiri spirits angrily crash the gold prospectors airplanes into the forest. It’s true! This happened when a very great shaman died of malaria propagated by gold miners. Several gold prospectors’ airplanes crashed in the treetops at that time. I saw … Continue reading

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Did you know that gold kills Indigenous people and rare animals? Gold mining kills Indigenous peoples throughout the world like the Yanomami people of Brazil and Venezuela! – Palm Oil Detectives

Did you know that gold kills indigenous people and rare animals?

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IL GENOCIDIO DEGLI YANOMAMI e la MORTE DELLA NATURA per la merce in oro e diamanti e L’ARTE DEL LAVAGGIO VERDE dei COMMERCIANTI D’ORO con le loro stesse parole… 2026!

Il negozio Cartier vendono gioielli, orologi e accessori di lusso esclusivi in ​​oro e diamanti dal 1847 – foto: Cartier “Le cose vanno male dal 2015, quando il prezzo dell’oro ha iniziato a salire. La vita degli Yanomami è legata … Continue reading

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EL GENOCIDIO YANOMAMI y la MUERTE de la NATURALEZA por la mercancía de oro y diamantes y el ARTE del LAVADO VERDE por parte de los COMERCIANTES del ORO en sus propias palabras… 2026

Las tiendas Cartier venden joyas, relojes y accesorios de lujo exclusivos en oro y diamantes desde 1847 – foto: Cartier “Las cosas han ido mal desde 2015, cuando el precio del oro empezó a subir. La vida de los Yanomami … Continue reading

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O GENOCÍDIO dos YANOMAMI e a MORTE da NATUREZA por Mercadorias de Ouro e Diamantes e a ARTE DE LAVAGEM VERDE pelos COMERCIANTES DE OURO em suas próprias palavras… 2026

As butiques Cartier vendem joias, relógios e acessórios de luxo exclusivos em ouro e diamantes desde 1847 – foto: Cartier “As coisas estão ruins desde 2015, quando o preço do ouro começou a subir. A vida Yanomami está atrelada ao … Continue reading

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Le GENOCIDE des YANOMAMI et la MORT de la NATURE pour les marchandises d’or et de diamants et L’ART de l’éco-blanchiment par les MARCHANDS d’OR dans leurs propres mots… 2026 !

Les boutiques Cartier vendent leurs bijoux, montres et accessoires de luxe en or et diamants depuis 1847 – photo : Cartier “Les choses vont mal depuis 2015, lorsque le prix de l’or a commencé à augmenter. La vie des Yanomami … Continue reading

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The GENOCIDE of the YANOMAMI and the DEATH of NATURE for Gold and Diamond Merchandise – The ART of GREENWASHING by the MERCHANTS of GOLD – in their own words – 2026!

Cartier shops have been selling their signature luxury gold and diamond jewelry, watches and accessories since 1847 – photo: Cartier “Things have been bad since 2015, when the price of gold started to rise. The life of the Yanomami is … Continue reading

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