Page 17 - the Noise July 2016

cover artist
shonto beGay: movinG forWard
by cf seiverd
of the modern masters of the Arizona scene, Shonto Begay ranks among the best and brightest. His career spans close to four decades now, achieving an international recognition among collectors and an appreciation by the people who share space with him, here, on this Colorado Plateau. On a given day, sauntering the streets of downtown Flagstaff, his earthy manner, humble charms, and sage storytelling have earned him a reputation as the genuine article, a man captivated by beauty, guided by ancient principle.
With prolific precision, his paintings convey the vast variety of life unique to his homeland, from travelers riding through Monument Valley in the back of a pickup truck, to the delicate stance of a lone high desert tree after a late winter snowfall; his subjects resonate that which we are privy to in our time here, yet our eyes may have missed in texture or nuance.
In his paintings, the skies shiver with color, the earth moves as an ocean tide, particles and energies flow through every form, evoking a dreamscape described as both frenetic and meditative, leading a viewer deeper into the subconscious ripples of the Southwest’s eternal allure.
“I like that sense of movement, the sense of seeking, forever looking for that light, in whatever form, on whatever road, in whatever situation,” he says. “A lot of it has to do with me, keeping that rhythm going, keeping that prayer.”
In a life of many twists and turns, Mr. Begay has occupied the boots of a bull rider, a forest ranger, and now finally, those of a sought-after artist. Asked how he keeps up with the pressure of turning out the “next best piece,” he says: “A lot of it is finding ways to keep the muse alive inside of you; with the help of some really good friends, who keep me out of trouble!”
Yet he rests not on his laurels, producing now more than ever; as demand for his works climb, he regularly gives his talents to local charities and organizations.
Just last month, at an auction benefitting Sedona Arts Center, he donated three new paintings, all of which were quickly snatched up by savvy patrons with an eye for his signature style. Winners of the Center’s “12x12,” who had no outward indi- cation of the artist’s true identity until after pulling a painting from the wall and committing to buy, were elated when it was confirmed they had just bought an original Shonto Begay.
Said one matron who had not been a collector before: “I’d seen the online preview before the opening, so I knew exactly which one I wanted and I grabbed it ... it spoke to me!” Another patron had waited years to be able to purchase an original, after meeting Mr. Begay by chance atop a Grand Canyon lookout a few summers ago. Still another astute patron deduced, at SAC’s auction price, owning one was too wise an investment to pass up.
Having seen his work transition from the 13 children’s books he illustrated right out of college, Mr. Begay remembers moving into stretched canvas and fine brush in the mid-90s, his first fine art showing at Brandy’s Restaurant & Bakery in Flagstaff. Regional recognition soon followed, as members of the Museum of Northern Arizona took note and invited him to headline special exhibits and sales. During this decade and into the aughts, he partnered with Diane Rechel regularly, who brought her expertise in marketing and public relations as a professional constant to Mr. Begay, ushering interest and access to his art the world over. While his sales boomed abroad, he kept to his roots in the Northland, regularly donating his talents to Flag- staff Symphony Orchestra in producing the season’s eye-catching signature piece, reproduced to critical acclaim in posters, handbills, and city-wide banners.
The 2010s brought more interest to his vision, as his subjects took on even deeper stories: the spirited awe upon the open- ing of a good book by a young reader atop a boundless vista; two origin-transcending lovers kissing through a window frame of an abandoned overgrown house in ruins; a white devil hitching a ride in the back of a pickup truck through Navajoland as a Diné teenager thumbs a cellphone.
One critic noted in 2014: “a constant struggle for balance and harmony between his natural, ancient world and contempo- rary cultures is seen in his celebrated work ... his journey reminds us we are all guardians of the Earth.”
Some of his subjects became public art, as he is remembered aiding in the very first mural downtown over two decades ago: a collaborative piece with the city’s youth viewed as slightly controversial in its day and since painted over twice. His more recent murals, each with sizable stories behind them and skilled artists as partners, remain in prominence at North Country Health- care, at the Green Scene Café in Northern Arizona University, and at Native America along Historic Route 66 in Williams.
He’s been known to call his paintings “visual chants” and explains: “Each stroke is a syllable to a Navajo word, each word to a sentence, each sentence to a paragraph. I like to think of each painting as a completion of a blessing or healing ceremony. That’s the purpose of art. That’s the spiritual void it should fill.”
Today, Mr. Begay reflects on 62 years of life, not foreseeing a time when he’ll retire, just so long as he keeps his core fresh, his body alive in continuous renewal, and there’s an itch in his mind’s eye. His newest series, Naas ji (translated from Diné as “Moving Forward”) revisits elements of his earlier work with new attention. It will be featured at West of the Moon Gallery all month long, with an opening reception during First Friday ArtWalk July 1 at 14 North San Francisco Street, Flagstaff.
Mr. Begay is also represented by galleries in Jackson Hole, Aspen, Tucson, Salt Lake City, and Santa Fe, where he will once again be a part of the Indigenous Fine Art Market August 18-20. For more information, shontosacredMountainGallery.com
at left: shepherdess, one of Shonto Begay’s newest pieces.