Apache Nickel Plated Steel Sculpture titled “Gods Favorite” by Bob Haozous [SOLD]

“Gods Favorite” is a sculpture by Chiricahua Apache artist Bob Haozous. It is made of nickel-plated steel (weight: 53 pounds), and features a creatively modified profile view of an animal.  Because of its significance in Apache mythology, we assume that the animal depicted here is a coyote—the intelligent trickster who sometimes causes trouble but can also be useful.

Haozous’ large, impressive coyote dates to the mid-1990s.  He’s made of an interlocking series of panels measuring about three quarters of an inch in depth.  Two large panels form the coyote’s body and legs, meeting at an angle that is slightly larger than ninety degrees.  A third panel forms the coyote’s head.  Its tongue hangs out through a mouth full of jagged teeth.  A cross-shaped hole cut all the way through the piece forms the coyote’s eye.  The fourth panel forms the coyote’s long, thin tail. 

When viewed from above, these pieces fall into the shape of a W, with panels aligning themselves in parallel pairs.  This arrangement enhances the feeling of movement that has already been established by the coyote’s open mouth and raised leg.  The entirety of the piece is deliberately nicked and abraded, creating a beautifully rough texture that suits the piece perfectly.  Haozous’ coyote is an immensely appealing figure.

The artist signed Haozous in large, raised cursive letters on one side of the base.  Gods Favorite is stamped into the other side, near the coyote’s head. 

Bob Haozous (1943– ) is a Chiricahua Apache sculptor.  His father was the famous Apache artist Allan Houser. His grandfather was an interpreter and runner for Geronimo, and was imprisoned with him at Fort Sill. Haozous is known for working in a range of media, from drawing, painting, and printmaking to jewelry, but his primary focus is on sculpture, especially monumental public works.  The north tower of Century Link Field in Seattle contains a massive installation of four disks representing the human experience and its current relationship to the environment.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Apache Nickel Plated Steel Sculpture titled "Gods Favorite" by Bob Haozousfrom the large collection of an Albuquerque family

Recommended Reading: HOUSER and HAOZOUS—a Sculptural Retrospective by Robert Breunig

Relative Links: Allan Houser, Chiricahua Apache, drawing, painting, printmaking, jewelry, scultpure, Bob Haozous, Chiricahua Apache Sculptor