DAN & ARLO NAMINGHA
FORM & SYMBOLISM
DAN NAMINGHA FORM & SYMBOLISM In this new body of work by Dan Namingha, the artist continues his profound renderings of landscape and symbol. Painting from before dawn to long after sunset, he constantly challenges himself to try new styles, representation, abstraction, and minimalism. He also works in mixed media, as seen in the work that combines textured and colored paper and paint. Namingha’s work commands unwavering respect for the earth and spirit of his ancestry, the beautiful heritage that is the heart of his creativity. He is constantly drawn to his roots, which are so deeply embedded in ceremony, yet Namingha allows us only a guarded glimpse of his sacred traditions. A central theme of his work is the universal passageway from the physical to the spiritual realm and back again. Namingha mirrors this return via his paintings, the mesas and skylines of his childhood home in northeastern Arizona serving as motifs in the evolving story he tells of his people and the land.
Passage #39 Acrylic on Canvas 84 x 72 inches
3 Tier Cloud and Sun Acrylic on Canvas 18 x 14 inches
Sun Over Mesa Acrylic on Canvas 18 x 14 inches
Sun and Clouds Over Horizon Acrylic on Canvas 18 x 14 inches
DAN NAMINGHA b. 1950 Abstraction and Realism Dan Namingha studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Sante Fe, New Mexico, and later went on to continue his studies in Chicago, Illinois. During his time at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, he was influenced by the artwork of Jackson Pollack, Adolph Gottlieb, Michelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, and Norman Rockwell. Namingha has been a painter and a sculptor for the last 40 years. His subject matter has always been intimately linked to spiritual beliefs of the Hopi culture. He incorporates elements of Pueblo symbolism and beliefs about time and space in a Contemporary minimalist manner.
AWARDS 2009 Honorary Doctorate from the Institute of American Indian Arts, Sante Fe, NM 2008 The Abbott Sekaquaptewa Award, Futures for Children, Albuquerque, NM 1997 The Visionary Award Institute of American Indian Arts, Sante Fe, NM 1995 New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, Sante Fe, NM 1994 Award and Tribute from the Harvard Foundation Fogg Art Museum Cambridge, MA
SELECTED COLLECTIONS The Booth Museum Atlanta, GA The Fogg Art Museum Cambridge, MA Palm Springs Desert Museum Palm Springs, CA NASA Art Collection Washington, DC Museum of Fine Arts Santa Fe, NM Institute of American Indian Arts Santa Fe, NM The Heard Museum Phoenix, AZ Sundance Institute, UT Millicent Rogers Museum Taos, NM State Capital Santa Fe, NM Denver Art Museum Denver, CO Robert Redford Pictograph # 6 Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 72 inches
High Desert Range Acrylic on Canvas 30 x 48 inches
Receding Rain Cloud Acrylic on Canvas 16 x 14 inches
West of Oraibi Acrylic on Canvas 16 x 14 inches
Polacca Moon #1 Acrylic on Canvas 24 x 84 inches
“Dan Namingha may well be the most gifted, original and important Native American painter currently at work... No doubt about it, Namingha is a major figure.� - San Francisco Chronicle
Pictograph # 7 Acrylic on Canvas 60 x 72 inches
Desert Mountain #6 Acrylic on Canvas 30 x 48 inches
Desert Morning Acrylic on Canvas 40 x 30 inches Oppisite Page: Hopi Montage #22 Acrylic on Canvas 72 x 72 inches
ARLO NAMINGHA FORM & SYMBOLISM Like his father, the work of Arlo Namingha reflects his Tewa-Hopi background. Using the idea of design, form and movement, he minimizes these literal images – not to recreate them but to draw from them and his personal experiences. In this latest body of work, Namingha expertly plays with dualities. The pale Texas limestone of Ancestral Image #2 delicately shimmers with spirit, yet the stone itself is heavy and earthbound. Similarly, Guardians #1, a work in bronze, juxtaposes smooth, curving lines with bold, weighted shapes. “My work not only reflects the figurative aspect of my native people and cultural deities, but also the idea of scenery and landscape as well as symbolism.” Sea Butterfly Texas Shell, Bass Wood and Bronze 15 x 13.25 x 3.75 inches
Timeline #1 (Front and Back) Texas Limestone, Poplar, African Mahogany, Bass Wood and Texas Shell 20 inch diameter x 5.5 inches
ARLO NAMINGHA b.1972 Abstract and Realist Sculptor Arlo Namingha is from the Tewa/Hopi tribe and the eldest son of internationally known artist Dan Namingha. He was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and raised in San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico. Growing up in his Native culture, he started carving Katsina Dolls at an early age. In his early twenties, he started producing wood sculptures and he now works in wood, clay, stone, fabricated and casted bronze. His works are included in many museums and private collections along with U.S. Embassies.
SELECTED MUSEUM COLLECTIONS Southwest Museum/Autry National Center, Los Angeles, CA Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, NM Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ Palm Springs Desert Museum, Palm Springs, CA
SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS U.S. Embassy, Bangui, Central African Republic U.S Embassy, Switzerland, Geneva U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh, Cambodia U.S. Embassy, Chisinau Art in Embassy in Uzbekistan Raymond James Financial Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, New Jersey
Balance #2 Texas Shell 18 x 7 x 7 inches
Fifth World #1 Indiana Limestone 20 x 18 x 5 inches
“My work reflects the figurative aspect of my native people and cultural deities as well as landscape and symbolism.� - Arlo Namingha Guardians #1 Bronze Edition of 6 #2/6 12 x 25.25 x 10 inches
Palhik Mana #2 (Front and Back) Texas Limestone and Bass Wood 12 x 10 x 3.75 inches
Balance #3 Indian Limestone 18 x 7 x 7 inches
Assemblage #10 (Front and Back) Texas Limestone, Texas Shell and African mahogany 15 x 10.75 x 3.75 inches
Chanters #1 Bronze Edition of 9 20 x 15.25 x 2.5 inches
Ancestral Image #2 Texas Limestone and African Mahogany 22 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 6 inches
For more information please contact Dean Munn at dean@altamiraart.com or Katherine Harrington at katherine@altamiraart.com or call 307.739.4700 www.altamiraart.com