Emmi Whitehorse’s Natural Balance

Metagalaxy. 39.5 x 51 inches. Oil on paper on canvas. 2008.

A few months ago, I went to the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art in Telluride, Colorado with a friend. I was completely struck by the beauty and emotion conveyed in the work there from Navajo artist Emmi Whitehorse. Most (if not all) of the works are oil on paper, then mounted on canvas.

Stellar Wind. 48.5 x 28.75 inches. Oil pastel on paper on canvas. 2008.

Ms. Whitehorse’s work is reflective of her experience as a Native American artist. She is interested in creating work that “stays true to a harmonious balance of beauty, nature, humanity, and the whole universe.” She says that this philosophy is essential to the Navajo people.

I can’t find the info on this one.

I love that these pieces are intended as landscapes, and yet, somehow they aren’t landscapes in the literal sense at all. The idea of being inspired by a particular subject matter and turning it into something completely unexpected interests me. In this work, I see modern references to something akin to the Native American rock art I’ve viewed in the western United States (see my posts here and here). I love Ms. Whitehorse’s ability to combine references of the past and present while keeping the pieces open-ended.

Codon Sequence. 54 x 72 inches. Oil pastel on paper on canvas. 2006.

This text from Ms. Whitehorse’s Artist Statement says it all: “My work is about and has always been about land, about being aware of our surroundings and appreciating the beauty of nature. I am concerned that we are no longer aware of those. The calm and beauty that is in my work I hope seves as a reminder of what is underfoot, of the exchange we make with nature.” ... What a wonderful sentiment and very well put.