Continued from page 1 Sandpainting As Art
Hosteen Klah is credited with being the first Navajo to present a sandpainting picture in a permanent art form. He wove a "Whirling Logs" design from the Nightway Chant into a textile (rug). He and his two nieces wove approximately 70 pieces over an 18 year span. From this came many sketches, drawings, paintings and later, books. Another medicine man, Miguelito (1865-1936), contributed greatly to this latter. Be assured, these weavings, and the drawings by these famous and respected medicine men were altered to some degree to preclude any disrespect to the Holy People. (One blanket purchased in 1929 had 34 identifiable errors according to a noted anthropologist.)
The most often seen sandpainting today is a reproduction on a piece of plywood or particle board. This evolved from the 1930's and was first seen in Gallup, New Mexico. Today the board is smoothed and covered with a thin glue. Upon this is layered colored sand or crushed rock. More glue is painted on and then more sand is deposited. The layering of glue is quite precise. If its too thick, the line or area will be lumpy, if too fine or thin, not enough sand will adhere and it will appear weak. In order to prevent the glue from drying too fast, only small areas are worked at a time.
Although most glue base is common household glue, thinned, many artists have one or more ingredients they add to satisfy their own requirements. These are kept secret, also various artists use different rocks or pigments to achieve various colors. Some use commercially colored sands. Part of the skill in creating a very high quality sandpainting is the technique of dispensing the sand on to the glue base. Most use a small amount of sand in the palm of their hand placed below the second finger. This is allowed to trickle off the index finger being guided and regulated by the thumb. The flow must be uniform or the line on the sandpainting will be uneven. Some sand painters will first sketch then work in pencil, others only by eye.
As demand for an item increases beyond production capability new production techniques are developed. Some sand painters now use a series of copper templates to speed up their work. Certain symbols, lines and patters are cut out of copper. These templates are placed on the board and used to quickly apply glue in the proper location. Often they are also used for the application of sand. One sees the use of templates quite often in the more "commercial" grade of sandpaintings.
Another item has become popular with sand painters, it is the air brush. This allows for the rapid creation of a multihued background. The amount of work on the background is not lessened as the background requirement for almost all sandpaintings is the same. The air brush simply adds an artistic dimension and what is sandpainting, after all, but an art.
The Evolution and Influence of Sandpainting Art
We have noted that sandpainting as an art was first seen in tapestries and later in paintings and drawings. These forms still exist. As weavings, very few Navajos will attempt a sandpainting as they are extremely difficult to do well and require a long time to accomplish the final tapestry. Those so engaged can and do command a high premium.
The Navajo Yei rug, first wove with great controversy near the turn of the century quickly became popular due to its resale success. It is still popular and a "must" for any weaving collector. It is not uncommon to see Yei weavings blended with other regional rug patterns.
Artists frequently employ one or more figures from a sandpainting in their contemporary work. Noted Navajo artist Harrison Begay frequently used one or more guardians in his paintings as early as the late 1930's. Justin Tso, Jack Lee, Benson Halwood and many others do also.
We note the frequent use of sandpainting figures in many pueblo pottery designs. Hopi Kachinas are most often used but the Navajo Yei figures are seeing increased usage.
In the actual sandpainting field itself there are great changes. At first one simply saw the more common Yei figures, occasionally a corn plant would be added. These evolved to renderings of simplified chants or ways- The Whirling Logs, Big Thunder from the Shooting Chant, Coyote Stealing Fire, etc. Then there came the artist in sand. Now we see renderings or realist and impressionist movements, as well as pictures of Shiprock, fetish bears, pottery depictions, etc. Generally the work is not complex, but is pleasing and represents a strong art movement.
Over a period of several years various competitions began to recognize sandpainting as an art form. As more and more museum shows, fairs, ceremonials, etc. began to award prizes based on quality and innovation we saw a definite increase in quality, quantity, and innovation.
Today we see in exquisite detail pure traditional sandpainting designs. Also, several artists blend two or more sandpainting designs, or elements together. Among the best of these groups are Rosabelle Ben and Fred Geary.
Other master artists such as Eugene Baatsoslanii Joe, Bobbie Johnson (d.), J.M. Cambridge, Keith Silversmith, H.R. (War Eagle) Begay, and Gracie Dick use a blend of tradition, impression, and realism to achieve one of a kind expressions that rival, in expression and in quality, any great art.
As a last note to this section, sandpainting designs are being seen in sterling and gold cast jewelry. It is very popular and selling well. It is easy to see that the core of Navajo life, their religion and its expression in the sandpaintings, has influenced all forms of Navajo artistic expression. Its influence is expected to continue.
List of References and Suggested Reading
Ronald McCoy, 1988, Summoning the Gods, Plateau Magazine of the Museum of Northern Arizona. (Excellent, detailed presentation- Most of the spelling of Navajo terms and other details are from this work.)
Eugene Baatsoslanii Joe and Mark Bahti, 1978, Navajo Sandpainting Art, Treasure Chest Publications, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. (A well written and illustrated book with many personal observations by the most famous of all living sandpainting artists.)
Tom Bahti, Revised by Mark Bahti, 1982, Southwestern Ceremonials, K.C. Publications, Inc. (Brief overview, very well written.)
Frank Johnson Newcomb, 1964, Hosteen Klan, Navajo Medicine Man and Sandpainter, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma. (For in-depth understandings of Navajo Life and the role of the Medicine Man.)
Ernest L. Bulow, 1982, Navajo Taboos, Southwesterner Books, Gallup, New Mexico. (Very interesting and a brief review gives insight into the many pressures on the traditional Navajo way of life.)
Franc Johnson Newcomb and Gladys A. Richard, 1937, Sandpaintings of the Navajo Shooting Chant, J.J. Augustin, New York, Reprinted Dover, New York, 1975. (In-depth view of Navajo life and the intricacies of the most varied of the Navajo Ways or Chants.)
David Villasenoor, 1963, Indian Sandpaintings of the Greater Southwest, Naturegraph Publishers, Inc., Happy Camp, California. (A pamphlet described 14 Navajo "ways" with color photos.)
