Dan Namingha

BOB HAOZOUS DAN NAMINGHA

By Marjel De Lauer One of Allan Houser's most creative and exciting students is his own son, Bob Haozous. Adopting his father's Apache name, Haozous has shed traditional Indian art the way a snake sheds its skin, and has emerged as one of the outstanding contemporary artists of the Southwest.

He became respected as a serious artist in 1974, when his stone sculpture, White Stele, was awarded the Heard Museum Prize, as well as the Gold Medal in its category. Haozous' work is the antithesis of his father's work. Allan Houser' sculpture portrays the natural and traditional attitude of the Indian, and exudes optimism and spirituality; Haozous' brilliantly executed pieces explode with social commentary and concern for justice and understanding of the past, present, and future.

Beyond the Native American way of living lies a strong sense of honesty in dealing with life. It is contradictory for an artist to portray the beauty of his people exclusively and ignore the beast. I find this honest attitude a necessary inspiration for my work.

Bob Haozous was born April 1, 1943, in Los Angeles, California. He attended schools in California, Oklahoma, and graduated from high school in Brigham City, Utah. After a year at Utah State University, he served four years in the U.S. Navy.

After his discharge he decided to become an artist, and studied at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California. With the help of a scholarship, he was able to receive his B.F.A., and sculpture became his major interest. Haozous is also concerned about capitalizing on his Indian heritage. "I'm very proud of my Apache ancestory, but I am also proud of my Navajo-English-Spanish background." He typifies the attitude of the new wave of young, contemporary artists, who happen to be of Indian extraction, "We prefer to be recognized for our talent rather than our heritage. We do not limit ourselves to traditional Indian art, nor do we paint or sculpt Indians in the traditional sense. It would be nice to be respected as fine artists, rather than Indian artists."

My work is me as a drum and a rock and I shall echo beyond the gallery walls and I shall spring off the rocks in the mountain and I shall echo off the trees in the earth.

Father and son different generations, different perspectives and yet they are able to share the same studio and work together from morning to night. Each man expressing his creativity in a different direction, each a masterful artist in his own right.

One of the youngest stars on the art horizon of the Southwest is Dan Namingha. Bold and vivid colors, sweeping and abstract designs, and a variety of textures give Namingha's canvases an exciting appeal that is totally original.

Art has been as much a part of Namingha's formative years as reading or writing. Born at Keams Canyon on the Hopi Indian Reservation, May 1, 1950, Namingha's heritage includes five generations of artists and potters. His grandmother, Rachel Nampeyo, is one of the most famous of the Hopi potterymakers, as is his mother, Dextra Nampeyo, considered to be among the most famous of the Hopi pottery-makers in the Southwest. His uncle, Raymond Naha, was a well-known artist and kachina carver.His genius was probably first recognized by his second grade art teacher, Mrs. Russell, at the Polacca Day School. She suggested he come in an hour before school started so that she could help him explore watercolor and design tech-niques. These early morning sessions lasted until he graduated from sixth grade.

Namingha was fortunate in being encouraged by most of his teachers. In his sophomore year at Ganado Mission School, his instructor, Mrs. Kirby, arranged a scholarship for him at the University of Kansas for a special summer session. In Kansas he studied architectural drawing and sculpture, which have greatly influenced his work today.

Further help from Mrs. Kirby enabled him to enroll in the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he came under the influence of Otellie Loloma. Namingha says she was perhaps the greatest influence on his decision to make art his life's work.

His commercial art teacher, Kay Wiest, was instrumental in arranging a grant for Namingha, enabling him to attend the American Academy of Art in Chicago. The classes proved to be a repetition of work that Namingha had already learned, and he became frustrated and lonely. After a year in Chicago he left school and signed up for a two-year tour of duty with the United States Marine Corps.

Honorably discharged in 1972, Namingha returned to Santa Fe to study with Otellie. At her suggestion he entered his first competition by exhibiting his work in the Philbrook Art Show as a professional painter. He took second place award. Since then he has exhibited in group shows throughout Arizona, New Mexico, and California, and has been given six one-man shows. Among his awards he is perhaps the proudest that his first bronze sculpture, Hopi Maidens, was chosen to become a part of the permanent collection of the Heard Museum.

His popularity with the critics and his dedication to his work has made Dan Namingha a strong branch on an illustrious family tree.