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MONTE YELLOWHORSE, DIN'EH ARTIST
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Monte Yellowhorse describes himself as a traditional Dineh contemporary artist from the Navajo Nation. His home is in Burntwater, Arizona. One of the most famous Navajo woven rug designs was invented by the women folk from this area and is now called the Burntwater design.
The Dineh reservation is made up of high desert with lots of juniper, piñon trees and sagebrush. It is arid and dry, with snow and bitter cold in the winter. Monte is of the Black Sheep clan (sister clan to the Salt clan), and born for the Towering House clan, which is said to be the first clan to come about.
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Growing up on an Indian reservation is not easy. Monte’s youth was no exception. He has seen hardship in all its aspects: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. His parents taught him traditional Dineh values. Later, he participated in Native American Church ceremonies, pow-wows and sweat lodges and was exposed to Christianity. Helping to shape his life and beliefs as well is the fact that in the Dineh tradition there is no separation between art and healing. The Dineh developed a powerful method of using art and healing synergistically. Monte now is a practicing Bahá’í. He likens becoming a Bahá’í to a person who comes to the top of a hill and has a good view of the valley below. In other words, being a Bahá’í has allowed him to see his life in perspective to the world at large.
Monte is a self-taught artist. He considers his work at the city public art building in Gallup, New Mexico as the place where he learned most about art. Depending on grant status, he worked off and on there for six years curating art shows, crating and transporting artwork, assisting with the Performing Arts Academy, book keeping and maintenance. Monte participated in his first art show in 2001. As it happened, it was an international show in Haifa, Israel and it was greatly successful.
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Monte’s art is a symbolic exploration of the balance of male and female and the soul of each being. In his childhood years he was told to notice the male and female in all things; from healing ceremonies, to the rain, the air, the mountains and beyond to the universe. Even the human soul has a female and male side. The two aspects can become distinct in special situations such as worship, healing and every day survival. In the Bahá’í Faith, men and women are likened to the two wings of one bird. The two wings must be equal in order for the bird to fly. All men and women must be equal in value and voice so that society may know stability and peace.
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This is all represented in his art symbolically. He uses the colors blue and red with various types of media to represent the male and female. The two colors are deep in tone like those used on prayer shawls in the Gourd Dance and in the Native American Church. They are used in varying proportions because the human soul usually has a stronger male or stronger female entity.
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The color yellow connects and balances the blue and red colors. It depicts the journey that a soul makes in this lifetime. Dineh tradition strongly advices each person to “walk in beauty”, to follow the “corn pollen road”. This road is the spiritual path, the one that leads us towards a harmonious life in this world. Yellow is the symbol of this path.
Through the Bahá’í teachings Monte understands that since the beginning of time the Ancient One, the Divine Mystery (God), has treated each soul with unconditional love.
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He gives the human soul unique strengths, weaknesses, talents and potentials. Part of our journey in this life is to discover these in our own selves. The gifts and characteristics of one soul are explored by an accent in one of the halves of each of Monte’s art pieces making every one unique; just as each soul is unique.
The ensemble of colors, symbols, and textures of each piece are beautiful and pleasing. Each piece evokes contemplation and communicates on a spiritual level.
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