The Four Worlds International Institute

Native American NAVAJO FOLK ART

By definition, Folk Art is any of the art produced by so-called
primitive or by non-literate peoples or by those who work outside the
accepted traditions of a particular culture.
Simplistic toy figures made of mud and clay are among some of the first
pieces of Navajo Folk art on record, dating back to the mid-1800s. It
wasn’t until the 1960s that Navajo Folk art started to gain recognition.
It was the works of Navajo Artisans such as Charles Willeto and Thomas Yazzie that sparked the interest in Navajo carvings.
Yazzie is perhaps best known for his woodcarvings depicting Navajo peoples performing ordinary tasks.
Willeto’s carvings are almost a mirror opposite of Yazzie’s, which
render captivating Navajo men and woman, as well as animals, with an
almost dream-like quality.
Willeto’s son Robin has taken his father’s trademark to the next level,
often reproducing images inspired by nightmares of skinwalkers, Navajo
witches that are capable of changing forms.
At the impressionable age of eleven, Navajo artist Delbert Buck began
woodcarving. Choosing to express humor, Buck creates such
representations as a Navajo woman riding an ostrich, cats riding mice
and frogs sporting top hats.
Cottonwood being his preferred pallet, Delbert Buck uses simple tools
to do his carving and paints the finished work with outlandish color
schemes.
Mamie Deschille, perhaps the more seasoned of Navajo Folk Artist, took
to using found scraps to create her art. Mamie would express her
artistic vision by cutting figurines out of scraps of cardboard and
then decorating them in conventional and unconventional manners, such
as her sequined giraffe with earrings.
Elsie Benally and Mamie Deschille created a resurgence in popularity of
Navajo mud toys just over one hundred years since their inception.
The Herbert family shares a talent and passion for carving Native
American folk art images. Creating a variety of animals since around
1895, the tradition has bridged generations with children, spouses and
grand children joining in the Herbert family’s favorite form of
expression.




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Being Indian its not,
Just the "Blood"....Its "Living the way"......
{Karenshadowdancer}

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