Glittering World
Ring
Raymond C. Yazzie, 2006. Opal, coral, lapis lazuli, jade, Blue Gem turquoise, Orvil Jack turquoise, 14-karat gold. Height, 1.125". Collection of Leota and Phil Knight.
attained an almost architectural quality. Like his brother, he spends enormous amounts of time and effort in choosing his materials in order to achieve the vision of his creation. As fellow award-winning artist Pat Pruitt (Apache/Laguna) says, “Raymond is a role model for younger artists; he has truly dedi- cated himself to his art. The materials I use allow me to be prolific, but because his work is so labor-intensive, he has the discipline to focus in and carry those pieces to fruition, whatever the timeline may be. Not a lot of artists do that. It may take him a year and a half to create a piece, but then that piece is absolutely amazing.” While Lee will create careful drawings
and spend time measuring and planning his work, Raymond is much more intuitive. As Raymond is thinking of a piece, he says, “It is natural to me to walk into my studio and start working. I design as I go along, without sketching first. I start cutting stones and think, ‘Do I see anything here? Or should I make this one this way?’” He also has experimented with combining more materials and stones. He is especially fond of coral and sometimes uses 14-carat gold as inlay between the stones to add “more glitter.” Raymond has branched out from his fam-
ily and other Navajo jewelers in other ways, including his business practice. In 1997, he moved on from working with traders who still primarily use a barter system to open
his own gallery, Yazzie Indian Art, in Gallup, together with his wife and partner Colina. He is now represented exclusively by Leota Knight, an admirer and collector of his work, based in Texas. Likewise, Lee continues to be represented by Gene Waddell in Arizona. Both brothers have attained an elite status in the Native jewelry world and are positioned to become known not just as jewelers but as remarkable international artists. Despite their success, all of the Yazzies
refuse to forget or abandon their roots, hav- ing learned about their culture and values through their parents in that hogan outside of Gallup. This humble history, despite its challenges and hardships, was an important foundation of their identity. As Dubin states, “Navajo life is a process
of constant rebalancing and perfecting one’s actions, expressions and thoughts into an ideal state: the unity of matter and spirit. The Yazzies, and their exquisite jewelry art, are quintessentially Navajo and uniquely indi- vidual. The attention to the highest standards of craftsmanship by every member of this remarkable family continues to generate an extraordinary body of work.” X
Kathleen Ash-Milby (Diné) is curator of contemporary art at the National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York. Lois Sherr Dubin is curator of the exhibit Glittering World: Navajo Jewelry of the Yazzie Family and a member of the George Gustav Heye Center’s Board of Directors. Theresa Barbaro is a freelance journalist based in New York and contributor to education and programming at the George Gustav Heye Center.
74 AMERICAN INDIAN SUMMER/FALL 2014
PHOTO: © KIYOSHI TOGASHI
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