Description:
Watercolor on paper. Stamped u.r.: PLANCHE 65.
Excerpt from American Indian Painters, Vol. 2, p. 10: Harrison Begay hails from Greasewood Springs, Arizona, He writes, "My parents were uneducated and I knew no word of English until I was eight". He was born into a heritage of beauty and he absorbed into his soul the essence of the Navajo spirit and of the Navajo land. Alway interested in art, he began his real apprenticeship of it in Santa Fe at the Indian School. He began early to win prizes at the Gallup Ceremonials and at Navajo tribal meets. Harrison took a college preparatory course, but the war uprooted him and stopped his career. He served in Europe and Iceland for three and a half years. On his return, he studied radio technique. But he has not given up art, although he feels it wise to have a more dependable source of income. Harirson Begay pursues a definite goal and a lofty objective in painting. He believes that Indian art should be characterized by the general styles and effects developed by the forefathers. In his work he makes it a point to follow these directions, so that he retains the fundamental character of his own tribal art even though he makes use of the modern idiom and the modern scene. He accepts the Navajo tradition whole-heartedly, reverently, but also most intelligently ; he accepts "today" with understanding. As a result, he seems to have been spared the pangs of conflict between the present and the past that rend the soul of so many modern artists and that are reflected in their work. It is perhaps for this reason that the paintings of Harrison Begay reflect such harmonious balance and serenity and great inward joy. It takes more than this, however, to create a work of art. Harrison is endowed with the necessary innate spark of talent, a craftsmanship developed to a high degree, plus unerring feeling for line and color and rhythm. So far his subjects have been mainly the scenes of everyday tribal life. He has, however, done some legendary and ceremonial paintings. The beautiful sand paintings of his people fascinate him and he wants to collect sand painting designs for use in his own work. He loves to picture groups of horsemen riding at a swift pace, singing or cheering as they gallop along. Also the social dances, as well as the sacred ones, where he suggests with simple means and consummate skill, graceful movement and lilting cadence. …> "Navajos Going to a Dance", six happy young Navajos gal-loping at full speed, is an excellent example of his recent hand best painting. In it he gives full expression to his love for subtly harmonious color, a far cry from the raw, screaming, or drab tones too many modern whites insist on inflicting on the public. In drawing, design, and color, Harrison Begay has reached the deserved position of first place among the Mavajo artists of today. And he is winning recognition to which he is entitled.