ADVERTISEMENTSkip

................................................................

Like many others across the world, Singer was a child of the 1970s and when the first “Star Wars” – or “Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope” film came out in 1977, he immediately was taken by the visual masterpiece.

And his love for the film went deeper than just being a fan.

“In the first ‘Star Wars,’ there’s the planet Tatooine,” he says. “It’s a desert with sand dunes and rocks. It looks like Tuba City. I really related the area to the reservation. I felt like I grew up there with Luke (Skywalker). I would play outside and it would fit in with this fantasy that ‘Star Wars’ created for me. As I’ve gotten older, those ideas start to fuse with my art.”

His 2011 acrylic on canvas piece, “Tuba City Spaceport,” features the historic Tuba City Trading Post, which dates back to the 1870s.

The painting features “Star Wars” characters such as Ewoks and Storm Troopers around the trading post with Navajos from the reservation. He has since painted more than a dozen other pieces depicting both Navajo culture and “Star Wars” characters.

“I remember going there as a child when I used to play games on the dirt floor,” he says. “I did that painting as a homage to where I grew up. I also added some of the buildings from Tatooine. The painting was also an experiment with the idea of multi-verses and parallel universes.”

Singer primarily works in acrylics, though he has dabbled in oils. Since moving to Albuquerque more than eight years ago, he’s been active in the local arts community and garnered numerous awards including the first ever “Adult Smile Award” at the 2008 SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market.

He is known for creating his unique variety of acrylic paintings, silkscreen prints, and pen/ink drawings. He has participated in art markets across the Southwest including the Heard Museum Indian Market, the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture, and the Santa Fe Indian Market. He recently wrapped up a show in Taos.

“I try to paint every day and I have a day job, so I don’t get too many chances to paint,” he says. “Where I work, I get to draw as part of my job, so when I get back to my studio, I’ll have some stuff to do.”

Singer works as direct care staff for Center for Function & Creativity, which specializes in working in arts, crafts and plays.

He is looking forward to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” when it opens on Friday, Dec. 18. But he won’t be first in line for the film.

“I’m going to wait a little bit,” he says. “I haven’t bought tickets yet and will go see the film in theaters. It’s amazing to see an entirely new generation be affected by the film.”

“Star Wars” made history in 2013 when it became the first film to be dubbed in Navajo.

It was the first time a major motion picture had been translated into the Native American language.

Manuelito Wheeler, director of the Navajo Nation Museum, got the ball rolling when he approached both the Navajo Nation and Lucasfilm.

It took some time for the project to happen and when it premiered on July 3, 2013, Singer was at the screening.

“I was lucky to be part of that event,” he says. “I was literally in tears and hearing my language spoken on the big screen with my favorite movie. The entire project was to preserve our culture. It has been a way to get younger generations involved with their language.”