Beatien Yazz Original Painting of Diné Boy Playing [SOLD]

This original painting by Diné artist Beatien Yazz features a sweet depiction of a young Diné boy.  He’s skipping across the dry desert with a stick between his legs.  His right hand, also holding a slingshot, orders his imaginary horse to pick up the pace.  A toy gun hangs from the waist of the boy’s jeans, which have slipped down, exposing his bottom. His shirt is buttoned at the top only, revealing a stomach that he hasn’t quite grown into yet. A large, floppy hat—most certainly borrowed from an older relative, but perfect for the occasion—blows in the wind as he skips.

Down below, a dog runs ahead, looking back at the young cowboy.  Light brown ovals signify the earth. Gray spots form the clusters of rocks from which green plants emerge.  Up above, two birds fly in opposite directions through an otherwise unadorned sky.  The boy moves along, unaware of the environment, pleasantly lost in his imagination.

The painting is signed Beatian Yazz in lower right.  It is framed under two layers of matting—a wide tan layer and a thin gray layer.  A simple wood frame completes the presentation.

Beatien Yazz (1928- ) Little No Shirt - Jimmy Toddy was a Diné painter.  He was born in 1928 in Wide Ruins, Arizona, to Desbah and Joe Toddy.  Yazz began painting early in life and was a natural talent.  He was successful as an illustrator of children’s books and greeting cards, a muralist, and most notably, as the prolific creator of original paintings featuring images of everyday Diné life.  Yazz may be best known for sweet images of wildlife, but he also experimented with ceremonial scenes and desert landscapes.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Beatien Yazz Original Painting of Diné Boy Playing is from the large collection of a Santa Fe resident, who purchased the piece directly from the artist.

Reference: American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas, Dorothy Dunn

TAGS: Navajo Reservation, Spin a Silver Dollar, Paint the Wind, paintings, Beatien Yazz, Navajo Nation Painter