An artist statement by Earl Biss.

A Wild Genius Meets His Match

Earl Biss was a visionary painter and a force of nature—brilliant, unpredictable, and often self-destructive. When Denver art dealer Paul Zueger took a chance on him, it sparked one of the most volatile and iconic partnerships in contemporary Western art. This story traces their complex relationship, the art it birthed, and the fire that fueled Earl’s creative legacy.

Inside the Studio with Earl Biss

Forget everything you know about how artists work. Earl Biss painted in total darkness, barefoot, for days at a time—sometimes on dozens of canvases at once. Witness his wild, mystical, and deeply spiritual painting process in this story about what he called simply: moving paint.

“They were already there. I just let them out.” — Earl Biss

Earl Biss helped ignite a revolution in Native American art—shifting it from artifact to fine art, from the margins to the spotlight. A founding voice of the “Miracle Generation” at IAIA, Biss painted visions that transcended history and market expectations. His legacy opened doors not only for Native artists across the U.S., but for Indigenous creators worldwide.