Painting the Dream
The Shamanic Life and Art of David Chethlahe Paladin
- Edition: New Edition
- Pages: 120
- Book Size: 8.5 x 11
- ISBN-13: 9781591430131
- Imprint: Bear & Company
- On Sale Date: July 11, 2003
- Format: Paperback Book
- Illustrations: 34 color plates
A glimpse into the remarkable life and visionary artwork of spiritual artist and activist David Chethlahe Paladin.
• Looks at the spiritual traditions surrounding the images that Paladin features in his art.
• Discusses the importance of Paladin's shamanic history in the creation of his artwork.
• Features commentaries by Matthew Fox and others on Paladin's life and art.
David Chethlahe Paladin's art was his life; through it, he fulfilled his desire to serve, to heal, to live compassionately, and to walk the Navajo way of beauty. This remarkable book explores the connection between Paladin's public art and his private life, showing how he not only honored his spiritual ancestors but also his personal commitments through the art that he gave to humanity.
Nurtured by his childhood on a Navajo reservation, where visions were accepted as a natural part of reality, Paladin created brilliant and evocative paintings that resonate between the physical world and the world of dreams. A shaman as well as an artist, Paladin was one of the first Native American painters to move beyond traditional themes and styles of painting. Alive with Navajo, Pueblo, Huichol, and Egyptian deities; Aboriginal Dreamtime images; and mythological beings born of the imagination and lore of many ages and lands, Paladin's art has been praised for its exuberance, eclecticism, spirituality, and original use of symbols. Together, his prose and paintings illuminate a philosophy in which we are all creators and transformers when we respond with openness to our environment and our fellow beings.
Painting the Dream
The Shamanic Life and Art of David Chethlahe Paladin
Foreword
Preface
Myths of Becoming
Painting the Dream
Shaman's Song
Gift of the Dancing Gods
The Painted Dreams
Additional Art Credits
Notes
Major Exhibitions, Collections, and Awards
Index
Matthew Fox, author of Original Blessing
“. . . the leading Navajo modern artist.”
Newsweek
“Painting the Dream introduces us to David Paladin’s extraordinary visionary paintings where the archetypal beings of all native cultures seem part of one great Cosmic tribe. Highly recommended.”
Alex Grey, artist and author of Sacred Mirrors and Transfigurations"This is an extrarodinarily beautiful and powerful book--the one I return to more than any other when trying to share with visitors my understanding of the visionary and shamanic path toward wholeness and healing. Lynda Paladin's selections, of art and complementary written pieces by David Paladin, are brilliant. Painting the Dream is a treasure. It not only delights the eye but nourishes the soul."
Jay Bremyer, author of The Dance of Created Lights and The Chymical Cook
"Paladin's artistic gifts and all-encompassing spiritual philosophy live on in his art and in this extraordinary and highly recommended book."
Southwest BookViews, Winter 2004, Vol.3 No.1
"A welcome and commended addition to any personal or academic American Art History, Native American Studies, or Metaphysical Studies collection."
The Midwest Book Review
"A well-balanced monograph of a man and artist who led an astonishing life. . . . a fascinating book."
New Mexico Magazine
Matthew Fox, author of Original Blessing
“. . . the leading Navajo modern artist.”
Newsweek
“Painting the Dream introduces us to David Paladin’s extraordinary visionary paintings where the archetypal beings of all native cultures seem part of one great Cosmic tribe. Highly recommended.”
Alex Grey, artist and author of Sacred Mirrors and Transfigurations
Painting the Dream invites us into the remarkable life of visionary artist and activist David Chethlahe Paladin (1926–1984). Paladin’s art was his life; through it, he fulfilled his desire to serve, to heal, to live compassionately, and to walk the Navajo way of beauty.
Paladin was a runaway adventurer in the South Seas at age 14, a soldier, spy, prisoner of war in Dachau, and decorated hero before he reached the age of 20. As a student at the Chicago Art Institute he met Marc Chagall, who encouraged him to draw upon his native heritage as the source of inspiration for his paintings. Paladin’s childhood was spent on a Navajo reservation, where visionary experiences were accepted as a natural part of reality. His brilliant and evocative paintings resonate with his visions and form a bridge between the physical world and the world of dreams.
A shaman as well as an artist, Paladin was one of the first Native American painters to move beyond traditional themes and styles of painting. Over the years his associations with indigenous people from around the world and the rich belief systems they shared with him provided another basis for his visual tapestries of wonder and celebration. Alive with Navajo, Pueblo, Huichol, and Egyptian deities; Aboriginal Dreamtime images; and mythological beings born of the imagination and lore of many ages and lands, Paladin’s art has been praised for its exuberance, eclecticism, spirituality, and original use of symbols.
This remarkable book explores the connection between Paladin’s public art and his private life, showing how he not only honored his spiritual ancestors in his art but also was an activist for native rights and the rights of all humanity. His prose and paintings illuminate a philosophy in which we are all creators and transformers when we respond with openness to our environment and our fellow beings.
David Chethlahe Paladin has been profiled in numerous magazines, including American Indian Art Magazine and Southwest Art, and honored for his contributions to the arts and education.
