Pueblo Buffalo Dancers [SOLD]

Unquestionably the outstanding Tesuque Pueblo painter and one of the most outstanding of all the pueblo artists was Patrick Swazo Hinds (1929-1974). Adopted at the age of 9 by a California family, Swazo grew up off the reservation but returned every summer to Tesuque. It is this exposure to a different way of life that is probably responsible for his style of art and that, in turn, is responsible for his wide appeal and his great success as an artist.

In this painting, Swazo renders traditional pueblo Buffalo Dancers in a muted palette against a background of limited palette. Yet, there is an appealing beauty, an aura of light and movement, and a color peak not normally associated with pueblo artists.

It is Swazos combination of the traditional with fresh spontaneity and more modern styles that accounts for his wide appeal and his great success as an artist. This piece is the epitome of fine art.