Untitled Dine (Navajo) Painting of a Boy with Slingshot and Flowers [SOLD]

Beatien Yazz, born in1928, began his art career when just a young boy. Basically, a self-taught artist, Yazzs talent was recognized early on by the Lippencotts of Wide Ruins Trading Post. Yazz attended the Santa Fe Indian School and studied under Dorothy Dunn, and is one of her last two living pupils.

In the book, Yazz: Navajo Painter, the artist recounts his happy childhood, roaming over the plains and canyons of the Navajo Reservation. He and his closest friend, Philip Shorty, would spend their days playing, swimming in muddy waters, and shooting anything they could find with their slingshots. This piece is representative of Yazz’s earlier works, which focus more on their subjects and everyday moments than their surroundings.

This painting, a great complement to our other recent acquisition (see item #C2989K) depicts a young Navajo boy holding a stem of flowers as a butterfly buzzes around them. Notice the proverbial slingshot! Yazz rarely painted in black and white, yielding to his preference for bold color usage, but here he attains incredible beauty in their simplicity.

Condition: The painting is in original excellent condition. It has never been framed and is currently shrink-wrapped for protection. It is signed in lower right.

Provenance: From the collection of the family of Balcomb’s Ranch Gallery, Colorado.