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Native American Art As a student I did a project on Navajo sand painting. As I remember, a healing process takes place over several days, where a patient sits in a hogan while a lengthy ritual is carried out by the medicine man. The oral component has been compared to one person singing all of the parts in an opera. Along with this is the making of a sand painting invoking mythical religious figures and their stories. A principal goddess is Changing Woman, and her images have remained in my memory.
Changing Woman grows old and
young again with the seasons. She represents the power of the earth and of women to create and sustain life.
I always thought that there was a strong resemblance to our modern hydro towers, and that a comparison of the function of each would be artistically and philosophically interesting. It would be richly ironic with commentary on environmental issues. It would not involve appropriation, and be visually quite entrancing. There was never quite the opportunity to develop this thought into something fruitful. Or at least not by me.
And then again I am not Navajo, so there's that.
So this little blog.
Changing Woman grows old and
young again with the seasons. She represents the power of the earth and of women to create and sustain life.
I always thought that there was a strong resemblance to our modern hydro towers, and that a comparison of the function of each would be artistically and philosophically interesting. It would be richly ironic with commentary on environmental issues. It would not involve appropriation, and be visually quite entrancing. There was never quite the opportunity to develop this thought into something fruitful. Or at least not by me.
And then again I am not Navajo, so there's that.
So this little blog.
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