On this page, we will share with you the book reviews that we are receiving. ALL of them. (Just in case you are wondering why they are all so positive…and are we leaving out something….NOPE! Every review has been enthusiastic. “Stunning”. ”Beautiful.” “A Triumph.” “Engaging.” “Extremely Satisfying.”
THE SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: BEST READING
December 9, 2011
Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist
This is not only a beautiful art book and thoroughly- researched biography of Quincy Tahoma (c. 1920-1956), but is also the complete story, told for the first time, of a gifted artist whose life reflects not only his own personal challenges but the multiple difficulties of being an American Indian trying to thrive in an Anglo American-dominated culture. The reproductions of Tahoma’s art are stunning, the text clearly organized and presented with easy to follow endnotes, helpful appendices on exhibits, collections, awards and a timeline of his life. This is a keeper.
This is the statement of Margaret Loghry, former teacher, librarian and library-administrator for Tucson Unified Schools and one of the judges for the Southwest Books of the Year.
July 2, 2011
by J.C. Martin
Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist” by Charnell Havens and Vera Marie Badertscher (Schiffer Publishing, $50).
This stunning coffee-table book has several things to recommend it, not the least of which is careful, thorough research, which, though sympathetic, is grimly honest as it unveils the tragic life of a gifted Navajo artist. Excellent reproductions of his many works are included.
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Native Peoples Magazine chose Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist for holiday gift giving!
Reviewer Debra Utaica Krol says:
“Fans of mid-20th century Native art will want this book on their shelf. The definitive biography of one of Native America’s towering talents, Navajo painter Quincy Tahoma, contains many images of works not seen in public. More important, it sets the record straight about Tahoma, a talented, complex man whose talent warred with a susceptibility to alcohol and his attempt to navigate the treacherous middle way between his beloved Dinétah and the wider world beyond. A rich, textured and honest storyline deftly brings his life and era to life.”
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by Margaret Regan
Called Pioneering Work, the article by Margaret Regan is subtitled, The tragic life of Navajo artist Quincy Tahoma is recounted in this beautiful volume.
By Rosemary Carstens
(Also at Artist’s Spotlight)
Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist
So often throughout history accomplished artists have disappeared from sight as other artists’ popularity has risen or when no new work appears to remind us. Such might have been the case for the remarkable work of Quincy Tahoma, had not two women embarked on a more-than-a-decade search to uncover the mysteries of his life and work. The two, Vera Badertscher and Charnell Havens, long-time friends and colleagues, took on a gargantuan task to bring us this beautiful, annotated biography. They gathered oral histories from over 50 people, many of whom knew Tahoma personally, and spent untold hours up to their armpits in archival materials, piecing together ragged bits of information here and there, sifting fact from legend to create a record of the artist’s short life. Many of the book’s more than 260 full-color images have never before been shown publicly.
It all began with “Aunt Mary.” When Charnell Havens was 12, her aunt returned home from a visit to Santa Fe, NM, and brought with her five of Tahoma’s paintings. Charnell never grew tired of seeing “the Indian braves rounding up majestic wild horses and spearing buffalo so there would be meat,” and she “marveled at the beauty of the seemingly endless landscape and the animals that claimed it as their own.” Upon her aunt’s death many years later, her niece inherited those paintings and the earlier fascination they held for her drove her to dig into who the man was behind the art.
She ultimately drew her good friend and sorority sister Vera Badertscher into the quest. The result is this very special volume about an artist whose brain raged with amazing images.
Until this publication came to my attention, I knew nothing of Quincy Tahoma or his art. As I studied the imagery in this volume, I was struck again and again by their detail and their symmetry. There are sophisticated aspects of his paintings that evoke art deco style—his repetitive use of stylized natural elements such as waves, clouds, even dust flying from the hooves of buffalo. He echoes shapes for emphasis and exaggerates or elongates figures and animals to create a distinctive personal style, and he employs perspective to show the vastness of the Western landscapes he loved.
I was amazed at the detail about the American Indian culture revealed in this artist’s body of work—clothing and adornment, the role of the hunter, the magnificence of horses and game, and groups’ communal activities. There is something about Tahoma’s art that reminds me of the famous “ledger” artists—Plains Indians who produced narrative drawings or paintings on paper or cloth. Tahoma’s work is alive, active—stories are told, and a history of a people unfolds within them. He draws the viewer into the tale. And, within each, is his unique signature with its “next chapter” of the action foretold in a few, spare lines.
Quincy Tahoma was a handsome young man, talented, swarmed after by the ladies, but ultimately tortured by his growing alcohol dependency. In his late thirties, his body gave out—but one can only image how brightly his mind would have continued to roam the hills and valleys of his compositions had he survived. Thanks to the determined efforts and persistence of Havens and Badertscher, his legacy has been revitalized.
Champion of My Heart
By Roxanne Hawn
Truth. Writing is hard. Greater truth. Primary research is harder, especially when the subject led an elusive, often-desperate, carousing sort of life. That’s one reason (among many)Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist is such a triumph.
The details dug from scraps. The real-life characters interviewed. The piecing together of biographical bits astound me nearly as much as Tahoma’s life story and artwork.
Authors Charnell Havens and Vera Marie Badertscher, a couple of sorority sisters going way back, weave the various narrative threads with skill I doubt I could manage on my best day.
What first seems like an “art history” book, Quincy Tahoma casts a broader biographical net — catching painful, telling insights into flawed social, legal, and educational systems in the process.
It’s no wonder Tahoma drank himself to death at such a young age.
Images of Horses, Dogs
Many of Tahoma’s paintings feature striding, epic, glorious horses, so our equine-loving friends will enjoy that aspect.
Some also include dogs, reflecting the Navajo sheep herding tradition and the ever-present coyotes and wolves. Clearly, however, Tahoma didn’t pay much attention to dogs in life because the ones in his paintings shine with only a fraction of the passion seen in his horses.
I say that both as a dog-lover and as a girl who minored in Theory and Practice of Art (art history + studio classes) in college. There are many things I like about Tahoma’s paintings, but the way he generalized dogs isn’t among them.
One untitled painting (circa 1951) depicts a young girl teaching what looks like a red border collie to sit up and beg. A few sheep graze in the background.
Girl. Dog. Sheep. What’s not to like?
Alas, the copyright issues around posting images of the paintings prevent me from being able to show you that one dog-centric example of Tahoma’s work.
Instead, please enjoy this photo of Havens and her dogs (Paisley and Yogi Bear).
Old Style Social Media
One of the funniest little tidbits the authors dug up on Tahoma is that he gave people pictures of himself, which was unusual at the time. But, the more I think about it, it isn’t that different from those of us who use photos as our online “avatars” these days. Perhaps, he was simply WAY ahead of his time when it came to name / face recognition in his social connections.
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By Elizabeth Rose
I’ve been looking forward to the release of this Quincy Tahoma book. Authors, Vera Badertscher and Charnell Havens have been blogging about all things Quincy for months and enticing us with tidbits from this well-researched book.
I received the book and thought I’d be able to review it within a week. But I’m still reading it and admiring the art. Why? Actually,Quincy Tahoma is three books in one. It is a beautiful coffee table book with nicely reproduced full-page pictures of Quincy’s action-filled art. Second, it’s a biography of the artist, a biography that mirrors the life histories of so many Navajo artists. And third, it’s a great reference book with thorough bibliography and index.
About Quincy Tahoma
Navajo painter, Quincy Tahoma was born in 1917 and was educated in art at the Santa Fe Indian School. He rose to fame as a Native American painter and then, sadly, met his decline through alcohol abuse. He died in 1956.
Quincy Tahoma painted in the style that is familiar to those who love the Indian art of the 30′s. He painted everyday Navajo scenes as well as thrilling depictions of events such as a buffalo hunt.
Why You Will Enjoy this Book
In this book, you will see Quincy Tahoma art never before shown. You’ll learn about the social history of the time when Tahoma painted and come away with a greater appreciation for Native American art as well as the struggles experienced by the Navajo people.
The research is thorough, the authors are careful not to mislead (stories told about Tahoma’s life are carefully labeled stories vs. facts), and the information is written in an engaging style.
It’s not a quick read. The book is jam packed with information, footnotes and references. But for visual people like me, the book is most valuable as a collection of beautiful paintings within a cultural context.
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by Dr. JessieVoigts
I have in my hands one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. It’s a cultural study, an ethnography of an artist, a glimpse into another world, and a snapshot of a time period that is fascinating. The book? Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist, by Charnell Havens and Vera Marie Badertscher. It’s filled with Tahoma’s extraordinary paintings, and brings the artist to life with words, photos, and explorations of his cultural milieu. What draws an artist to portray his subjects? Why is one’s cultural and personal background so very critical to his art? And, why are biographies SO compelling to readers – what is it about a life explored that draws us?
Authors Havens and Badertscher spent years finding and documenting original sources, traveling where Tahoma lived and worked, speaking with people who knew him. They dug deep into American Indian culture, the art world, history, genealogy, and personal stories to discover the life of this amazing artist – and pieced together a life that is both captivating to readers, and breaks new ground in thinking about art, history, culture, and the Southwest. When you delve into the book, it’s difficult to decide where to focus first – the gorgeous art, or the irresistible story of the life of Quincy Tahoma. The authors truly have a firm comprehension of the life of Quincy Tahoma, history, place, and art – and have been able to connect them in an extremely satisfying book.
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