Original Painting of a Navajo Fire Dance [SOLD]

Andrew (Andy) Van Tsihnahjinnie (1916-2000) was born near Chinle, Arizona in 1916. He attended elementary school at the Indian School at Fort Apache, but ran away and returned back to the Navajo reservation. He then attended school in Santa Fe and became a student of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School. He was an avid student and was known to have stayed in the studio painting until forced to return to the dormitory. Following his graduation he went to work as an illustrator for the Indian Service.

This painting was executed late in the career of the artist.  It is less structured than his earlier paintings and reflects his use of brighter colors, a result of his failing eyesight.  The painting was executed on a piece of plywood and then framed by applying cut strips of lattice-type wood which were painted white and nailed to the plywood.  The strips were cut free hand and do not properly fit at the joints.

The painting is not signed but it is comparable to many we have had that were executed in the same style and colorful paints.  We are confident it was painted by Tsihnahjinnie.  There is a charm to the primitiveness of the painting and the looseness of the style.  The homemade frame adds even more to its presence as it is a reflection of the condition of the artist at the time.

Condition:  original condition

Provenance: from the Friends of the Commerce (TX) Public Library

Recommended Reading:  American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn