Brightly Colored Original Painting by David Chethlahe Paladin [SOLD]

This original acrylic painting was made by Diné artist David Chethlahe Paladin.  Paladin was a restless creator who explored a variety of styles and a variety of media during his career.  When looking back at the pieces we’ve handled over the years, we see versatility and energy.  Paladin was one of many early Diné artists who studied under Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School.  He also served in World War II alongside a handful of his Indian School classmates.  His art is very different from that of his peers, however, which is why we are always pleased to take a look at one of his works.

This piece is similar in spirit to a few that we have seen in the past, in that it combines traditional Diné symbology with textural abstract work.  The Yei figure, bird, and sun designs used here appear frequently in Diné paintings. Paladin did an excellent job at creating a uniquely atmospheric setting for these frequently used symbols.  The translucent red mesa and smoky yellow sky are outstanding.  Three black trees, barren of leaves, stand in the foreground in stark contrast to the brightly colored desert scene.  This is a very nice offering from David Chethlahe Paladin.

The painting is signed Chethlahe in lower right.  It is framed in a textured wood frame.

David Chethlahe Paladin (1926-1984) was born on the Navajo Reservation in 1926 at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona.  He served in the U. S. Army during WWII and was a prisoner of war for 2-½ years. He studied art at the Santa Fe Indian School and then at the California School of Fine Arts, where he studied under Marc Chagall and Mark Tobey. "Paladin gave credit to the influence of Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, and Marc Chagall for influencing him to abandon his early traditional style of painting and embark on a more contemporary style. While still a student, Paladin met Marc Chagall at an exhibition of the artist's work at the Chicago Art Institute. Chagall encouraged him to use his Diné heritage but not to illustrate anything; instead he should listen to the story, dream it, and paint it.  

The influence of Mark Tobey and Morris Graves, whom he met in Portland, Oregon, led him to experiment with texture, mixing clay, sand, and mud, and adding them to his paintings." (Arizona Arts and Lifestyle, Spring 1980) 

Paladin explored many styles and drew from a wide variety of influences during his productive career.  He began with traditional imagery before expanding into more abstract territory. He also explored a wide variety of media.  Paladin’s images are often rooted in spiritual themes, incorporating traditional Diné symbology with unique, personal, abstract imagery.  Paladin passed away in 1984.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Brightly Colored Original Painting by David Chethlahe Paladin is from a private collection of a resident of Seattle, Washington

Recommended Reading: Painting the Dream: The Visionary Art of Navajo Painter David Chethlahe Paladin by David Chethlahe Paladin

Relative Links:  Dorothy Dunn, Navajo Reservation, Native American Painting, David Chethlahe Paladin