Antonio Chee: Connecting the past with the present
This piece here was done by Artist Antonio “Tone” Chee. He is an artist from the Navajo nation based in Phoenix, Arizona. Eagles in Navajo culture represent bravery, strength, and holiness. They are also considered to be the messenger of the creator. They are sacred in Navajo culture, which is why I find this piece particularly interesting. While this piece undoubtedly represents Navajo Culture, it is done in a more modern style of tattoo that emphasizes realism and heavy black and gray work. Chee doesn’t directly speak to this, but it can be concluded that this piece represents a blending of tradition with the modern world today, creating continuity between what was and what is. This piece articulates that while traditions are being upheld and respected, the way in which they are is different, representing a new sign of the times and how Native tattoo culture has changed as it has been revitalized.
This piece Chee did is of a bear claw. The Bear claw in Navajo culture represents strength, wisdom, and protection. The wearer who chose this design is unknown, but the design itself is meant to empower her with the spirit of the bear. Spirituality in Native culture is of the utmost importance and by choosing to get this piece permanently placed on her body the wearer displays her connection to her culture and beliefs. The tattoo is also done in a more modern style of tattoo that emphasizes realism and heavy black and gray work, continuing to drive home the idea that while the modalities in which traditions are honored may change, the traditions and the meanings behind them will always hold true.
This piece, done by Chee, is quite different from the others in the exhibit. This piece is a realistic portrait of a Navajo woman weaving a blanket or rug, bordered by traditional Navajo patterns that would be seen on a rug or other woven piece. This hyperrealistic piece is a beautiful display of the reverence for traditional Navajo art and people by modern day Navajo peoples. True to Chee’s style, he chooses to tattoo in a newer style with a major emphasis on black and gray realism, however this piece depicting an actual person truly connects the past with the present, ancestors with their kin. I also cannot help but be drawn to the fact that the blanket is unfinished, I find this very interesting because it is well known that in Navajo culture, there was a major emphasis placed on the outcome of the art. The fact that this blanket is undone might speak to the fact that traditions and cultures are like blankets being forever woven, when a person passes on they pass their portion on the blanket onto the next generation so that they might also be able to leave their own mark on the culture.