Acrylic
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Creation of First Man & Woman: After the emergence into the fourth world, the insect people were visited by four deities. After four unsuccessful attempts at communication, one of them was able to communicate their wishes in helping the insect people live in this world, yet in the form of the deities themselves, for the people who inherit the earth should not have claws and mouths of beasts. After four days of ritual cleansing the ceremony took place to make people in the gods image. Placing two ears of corn between two sacred buckskins, they initiated a rite. Whereupon Wind entered their bodies and gave them life. First Man was born of white corn, and First Woman was born of yellow corn. From these two rose the beginnings of the Dine'.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Tamara Long, Private Collection
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Mixed Media
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Home of the Wind People: Navajos say that Wind comes in many forms, intoxicating, wild, unruly. Thus, Wind can be good or bad, and can hide almost anywhere. Invisible, Wind can enter a man's inner ear, and influence his innermost thoughts. The Windway shows the positive and negative aspects of Wind. Elder Brother transforms into a snake for violating the taboo of eating a deer's intestines. During his father's quest to find him a cure, he comes upon the home of the Wind People. Who were an old couple, a man and a woman with wild, windy hair. All around their hogan were red-painted dancers who danced and waved their arms. With their help Elder Brother was returned to his former self, with him learning of the consequences of his actions.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Barry and Laurie Simpson, Private Collection
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Acrylic
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The Flood: After the Separation of the Sexes, two women were lost while crossing the river to rejoin the men. After seeking aid, they were found in the home of Water Monster, coercing him by fire they reunited the women with the people. However Coyote had stolen Water Monster's babies in the process. This fact being unknown to the People, they could not explain the flood that ensued. Building a reed, they barely escaped into the fifth world, with Turkey being the last animal to enter the reed. As the water followed them into the fifth world, it was discovered that the source of the problem was Water Monster's stolen babies. Thereafter they were thrown back into the opening and the water all at once receded.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Duke and Rose Simpson, Private Collection
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Oil Pastels
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Holy Man & The Buffalo-that-never-dies: Taken from the Shooting Chant, this painting shows the scene in which Holy Man sits down upon a rock and took his head in his hand. The battle for power with the leader of the buffalo people for taking his wives, resulted in the leaders death, and also in the death of the buffalo people. The deed of slaying the embodiment of the buffalo people was too terrible to face. However, the wives upon seeing their brethren slain, consoled Holy Man and asked him to restore the lives of their people. Agreeing to do so, Holy Man restored the buffalo people and their leader. Which resulted in the leader's acknowledgement that Holy Man's power was greater than his and gave Holy Man the ladies hands as a show of respect.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Louis Teicher, Private Collection
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Acrylic
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Guardians: Navajo deities are thought to be everywhere, in the air, land, and water. They give life to everything around us, pictured in this painting is a procession of Yei's who are disappearing with the appearance of dawn, after giving vigilance throughout the night. Although they disappear now, they will return with the evening light, a cycle they will share with the deities of the day.
Artist: Damian Jim
1998 Gallup Indian Ceremonials
First Place Winner
Courtesy of Mr. and Mrs. Isreal Shortman, Private Collection
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Watercolor-Pen/Ink
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Night Chant: A scene depicting a variation of the Night Chant in which Black God appears. At the head of this procession is Talking God, the night sky surrounds the figures with the fire lighting the backs of the deities. A blue fox skin wanders through the painting uniting the figures through the costumes of the dancers.
Artist: Damian Jim
Private Collection
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Acrylic
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Presence: Largely influenced by Navajo rug designs and mythology, this painting shows how Navajo mythology is largely integrated into the art itself. Navajo Yei's appear to emerge both from within and on top of the rug pattern. These four are directional Yei's and are signified by their colors; blue for south, white for east, yellow for west, and black for north. The traditional rug design has a spirit line in the lower corner to keep with old weaving traditions. Contemporary sunwheels revolve both sunwise and anti-sunwise to show both growth and change for the future and keeping the old and traditional values of life. A representation of engaging cultures.
Artist: Damian Jim - Private Collection
1998 Gallup Indian Ceremonials
Best of Category/First Place Winner
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Acrylic
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Turquoise Boy & The Sun: The sun is considered to be very important in Navajo mythology, thus the very act of creating the sun and giving it life is documented very well. Here is one version of the process. During the creation of light The Holy Ones asked the Turquoise Boy to enter the great, perfect turquoise that was to become the sun. The Turquoise Boy was to carry a whistle made from the Male Reed. This whistle had 12 holes in it, and each time that the Turquoise Boy would blow on his whistle the earth would move one month in time. When the sun began to heat up, the heat was so intense that the Holy Ones had to reposition it four times, before it was placed where it now travels.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Barry and Laurie Simpson, Private Collection
1998 Gallup Indian Ceremonials
Honorable Mention
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Mixed Media
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Talking God: In myth frequently communicates with Earth People in words in spite of the injunction that a man impersonating him must use only gestures. As grandfather of the gods, Talking God is the tutelary of the Night Chant. He has control of dawn and the eastern sky, of rare game and corn. Talking God had a counterpart called White Body in the third world. According to one myth, Talking God was the son of Changing Woman. He was transformed from white corn, which she placed at the top of a mountain where fogs meet. Acts as a mentor, often directing mythical characters, warning them, or telling them the answers to test questions which they would not otherwise have known.
Artist: Damian Jim
Courtesy of Georgianna Kennedy Simpson, Private Collection
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