Zia Pueblo Single Figure Deer Dancer [SOLD]

Zia Pueblo produced some excellent painters, the most notable being Velino Herrera (Ma-Pe-Wi) in the early 20^th century and Rafael Medina in mid-20^th century.  Medina attended the Santa Fe Indian School after the departure of Dorothy Dunn and during the tenure of art teacher Gerónima Montoya, probably entering school in the early 1940s. 

Dorothy Dunn, in her book American Indian Painting, stated "Rafael Medina paints hunting and various rain dances of primitive feeling with vigorous strokes of dark, rich paint.  Again, in lighter vein, he creates lovely shimmering effects of darks and lights on pale grounds."

Clara Lee Tanner, in her book Southwest Indian Painting, stated that he studied at Albuquerque under Velino Herrera and José Rey Toledo.  She does not state that he attended the Albuquerque Indian School but perhaps that is where he studied before entering the Santa Fe Indian School.  Neither Dunn nor Tanner is clear about that.  Following high school, he attended IAIA in Santa Fe.

Medina painted mostly in water-based paints and caseins achieving good color.  His detail was quite good especially in dancer costuming such as this Zia Pueblo Deer Dancer. His image of the dancer fills the area of the painting and brings the dancer closer to the viewer.  The facial features are exceptional and the deer head piece is realistic in style if not in color.  In the upper left corner, Medina placed a Sun face and in the lower right corner he signed the painting within the Zia Sun Symbol image.

On verso, written in the artist hand, is Deer Dance by Rafael Medina, Zia Pueblo, San Ysidro, New Mex 87053 and dated May 1969.

Condition:  the painting is framed in a wood frame using all acid-free materials.  It appears to be in original condition.

Provenance: from the personal collection of Santa Clara Pueblo potter Margaret Gutierrez of the Margaret and Luther team.

Recommended Reading:  Southwest Indian Painting: a Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner