From Ancient Nations:
Lawrence Jacquez is a Navajo
carver from the Nageezi area of the Navajo reservation and was born in 1965.
Lawrence is known for his unusual sculptural renderings of Navajo
sandpaintings.
Although he is also a painter,
his talent as a sculptor has grown to depicting both the Navajo Yeibichai or
holy people, as well as the Navajo mythical being called
"yendalooshi" or skinwalker.
Lawrence struggled with
tragedy when his entire immediate family was killed in an automobile accident
near his home on the reservation. To quote Lawrence:
"I started painting after
an accident left me unable to continue working in building construction. I have
continued to try to express myself in different ways which has taken me on a
tour of a number of different mediums. I went from painting canvas to large
murals, to 3-dimensional sandpaintings to wood sculpting. I try to tell a story
with each carving. One of my latest works was a carving of an eagle. It was
meant to send a prayer to my children. I carve to honor my daughter and son who
are with me in spirit. I pray that they can see and understand my
visions."
Lawrence's awards include both
First Place and Best Of Division at the Santa Fe Indian Market, as well as
First Place blue ribbons at the Gallup Intertribal show.
In spite of common trends to
frown upon Navajo carvings, Lawrence continues to showcase his skills in this
medium by focusing wholy upon figures which are related to his Navajo cultural
heritage - and his skill is superb.
His carvings always feature
incredible detail. Every fiber has been meticulously accounted for. The hands
and face have every line and wrinkle.
Moreover, this type of artwork
is considered by many Navajo as a cultural taboo. Therefore, a piece such as
this one is very rare.
The Yenadlooshi, or Skinwalker, is a product of the so-called Navajo black magic. His origins and purposes are shrouded in mystery, but his reputation precedes him in a powerful way among modern Navajos. A quick conversation with most will reveal a certain reluctance to even talk about the Yenadlooshi.
From the Historic Cameron Trading
Post
In an early morning dream,
Lawrence Jacquez (pronounced Hackus) had a vision of “a little boy sitting on
Dzil Na’oodilii (Mountain around which moving was done), referred to by the
Navajo as ’twirling mountain’ and a mist-like sunburst-horned Yeibichai floating
up into the sky”. In an interview, Jacquez said when he tried to paint his
dream, a carving came out instead.
Lawrence Jacquez was born in
1965. His early years were spent in a hogan under the shadow of Dzil
Na’oodilii. After finishing about eight grades in boarding school, Jacquez
worked part-time for Foutz and Burson Construction Company. In 1988, a
jackhammer accident ended his short career. Jacquez now lifes with his wife,
Luann Murphy Jacquez, in a small village of houses just south of the Nageezi
Trading Post. “I had been painting off and on all my life,” he remembers, “but
after my dream I started to carve.”
The work of Lawrence Jacquez
is unique among Navajo artists. He has created a style of art that relates to
both sandpainting and sculpture. One figure that appears frequently is the
Sunburst Yei Chiricahua Apache, which is found in Navajo legend. Jacquez says
that he’s unable to duplicate the figures and colors exactly because in the
Navajo religion that would be wrong. Like many other Navajo, Jacquez believes a
complete and accurate rendering of sacred beings would imbue the object with
supernatural power, inappropriate for secular use. Thus many artists change the
details of sandpaintings to prevent the Holy people from being called.
Therefore, Jacquez alters the designs he relies on in creating his sculptures.
Lawrence Jacquez also continues to paint. for instance, he recently completed
several large murals, one on the outside wall of the Nageezi Trading Post and
another on the side of a nearby farm facing the highway. These murals of Navajo
scenes, while interesting, lack the personal vision and innovation that is
present in the carvings and the painted works are not created with the same
enthusiasm as his carvings. In the spring of 1989, Jacquez brought his few
pieces to Don Batchelor at the Nageezi Trading Post. Shortly thereafter, Bruce
Burns, owner of the Thomas Harley Trading Post in Aztec, began to represent
this innovative artist and has placed his work in important collections.
About the Blue Yei
In Navajo (Diné) culture and
art, a blue rectangular-headed Yei figure represents a female deity or
spirit, which are benevolent supernatural beings.
Here is a breakdown of their
meaning and significance:
It is important to note the
distinction from Yei-be-chai figures, which are human dancers
in profile, wearing masks, who impersonate the Yei deities during a public
ceremony.
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