Page 18 - the Noise August 2016

f 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 ognition among collectors and an appreciation by the people who share space with him, re, on this Colorado Plateau. On a given day, sauntering the streets of downtown Flag- ff, his earthy manner, humble charms, and sage storytelling have earned him a reputa-
n 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 home- d, from travelers riding through Monument Valley in the back of a pickup truck, to the licate stance of a lone high desert tree after a late winter snowfall; his subjects resonate t which we are privy to in our time here, yet our eyes may have missed in texture or nu-
ce.
In his paintings, the skies shiver with color, the earth moves as an ocean tide, particles d energies flow through every form, evoking a dreamscape described as both frenetic d meditative, leading a viewer deeper into the subconscious ripples of the Southwest’s
rnal allure.
“I like that sense of movement, the sense of seeking, forever looking for that light, in atever form, on whatever road, in whatever situation,” he says. “A lot of it has to do with , keeping that rhythm going, keeping that prayer.”
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