Navajo Sand Paintings Essay Example For Students

Navajo Sand Paintings Essay The Navajo sand paintings go through a complex process, which in turn not only has a deeper meaning to t but also creates an image for the healing process. While the Navajo sand paintings have a complex process in which they are created, they also have a complex meaning in which they are looked at. The sand paintings are usually created on a Hogan floor and different colors of sand are used to create this painting. After the paintings are made and the ceremony has been done, the art is then destroyed. The reason this takes place is because the sand painting is used as a portal to attract the spirits. Once the Holy people get rid of the illness that is present, the sand painting is intentionally destroyed to block the portal ND the illness from ever coming back. This process usually takes up to twelve hours from the start of the painting to the intentional destruction of the painting. The creation of the paintings not only takes a great deal of skill but also insists that respect is to be had for these paintings because of the spiritual meaning they contain. Sand painting artists, such as Tom Claw, thank God for giving them the ability to create this type of art through their hands and fingers. Each painting has its own unique contemporary look to it and this is because of the special way that the colors are used. The different colors that are used to create these sand paintings vary from naturally colored sand to something as simple as charcoal or sandstone. The paintings itself portray the Holy People and during the ceremony the Medicine Man asks the Holy People to come and help heal the patient. It is very crucial that the sand painting is created the right way because the actual creation of it and the accuracy in which it is created tells the Medicine Man how the healing Of the patient Will go. If the painting is not accurate then the healing will not be as helpful as it could be. The thought of balance and order is crucial to the making of this art because that is what the healing is mostly based on. If the painting itself is not balanced, nor in order, then the patient will not be able to be healed in a balanced manner. The ceremony that takes place to heal a patient from an illness has a complex process that enables it to be highly respected not only in a spiritual sense but as well in a divine way. Without the sand paintings the Medicine Man would not be able to ask the Holy People to cure the patient of the illness. This portal that allows the patient o be harmonically balanced in health and universal beauty shows a greater spiritual appreciation in the Navajo people. Everything trot the colors or types of the sand being used, to the images created within the painting, has a spiritual importance to them. And through perfect symmetry and great accuracy, the healing process can be done. The paintings are created in layers of time, space, and meaning, and each painting has its own unique quality to it, ensuring the healing process goes as planned. Navajo sand paintings are used to spiritually cure a patient of an illness. The painting itself allows a portal to be opened and connection to be made between the Holy People, the Medicine Man, and the patient. Perfection is needed to ensure that the ceremony goes as planned because the smallest Of mistakes in accuracy can cause the ceremony to go wrong. The patient is trying to reach a state of harmony within this ceremony and it is crucial that accuracy is precise. Each ceremony that is conducted needs to have its own unique sand painting to go with it to demonstrate respect spiritually and to ensure that the healing process goes to plan. Sand paintings are a divine way of art that shows not only tradition but also a contemporary form of art.