Carl N. Gorman was an outstanding artist who broke the mold in Indian art. Never forgetting who he was - a Navajo with a proud history and tradition - Carl was not afraid to experiment with the raw power and imagery of his traditional Navajo world combined with the "refined and proper" world of western art. After serving as a Navajo Code Talker in World War II, Carl studied at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles, California on his GI Bill where he formally studied the masters of Europe.

Refusing to be boxed into the stereotypical version of Indian art which was flat and two dimensional, a style promoted by Dorothy Dunn among her students at the Santa Fe Indian School in the 1930s, Carl experimented with paintings and various techniques as well as with other mediums such as ceramics, tile, silk screening, and jewelry design. As a result, Carl opened doors for many Indian artists including his world-renowned son, RC Gorman.