Navajo sculptor Alvin Marshall has been carving works out of stone for about 40 years. When we opened our current location in 1983, he and Orland Joe often traveled the show circuit together, selling their works.
The two of them traveled to Europe and studied in Italy, learning to work with marble and visiting the great museums where they studied the works of the classic Italian sculptors.
It was a good time for these two men, and both have gone on to award-winning careers in the arts. I had not seen Alvin for a few years when he stopped by the gallery to say hello on his way back to New Mexico from a show in Oklahoma! It seemed he wasn't taking the shortest route, but when I asked him about it, he explained, "I just had a feeling that I was supposed to drive this way."
When I feel like that," he said, "I usually go with it."
When he came to the gallery, he asked, "Did you hear that James King died?"
James was an accomplished Navajo painter who had a place in Durango. He was an award winner in almost every show where he exhibited and had a broad group of collectors. He was also a bicycle rider and had ridden in the annual Iron Horse Classic from Durango to Silverton, Colorado, 50 miles over two 10,500-foot passes. I've made the ride myself but could never keep up with James.
He suffered a heart attack on a bike ride in 2019, the summer before the pandemic.
I had not heard about it. Alvin had received a phone call from a mutual friend of James just as he pulled into Durango. He was hit hard by the news. He shared how much he had admired his friend and told stories about their times together.
"I always meant to buy one of his paintings from him," said Alvin. "But I thought there was plenty of time. Do you have any of his work?" he asked.
We did have a wonderful King painting of a Navajo family building a hogan. I showed it to Alvin, who said, "I'd like to buy that."
I replied, "Why don't we trade some of your work for it?"
He happily agreed, and after a good conversation, he picked up the painting and, on his way out the door, said, "Now I know why I drove home this way."
I was sad to hear about James King's passing, But it was wonderful to see how happy Alvin was to get the painting. It took about two and a half years for Alvin to bring us two beautiful sculptures. Everything was closed down, and Alvin had to hustle like every other artist to keep things going.
My Son is Going to be a Weaver
He first brought a sculptural portrayal of Marilyn Harvey, his "cousin sister." That is something of a confusing term. Years ago, before I understood it, a Navajo person would say that someone was their sister or brother when I thought I knew the whole family and didn't remember an extra sibling.
Once, I knew the whole family, and I asked the weaver I was talking to how she could have another sister.
"If your mother has a sister, then her daughter is your cousin-sister," she explained. "Or if she has a son, he is your cousin-brother. We usually call them sisters or brothers. But if your mother has a brother, his kids are your cousins."
So there you go, just in case someone asks.
Alvin's sculpture of his "cousin-sister," Marilyn, is carved out of alabaster and shows her holding her young son, who is happily wrapped up in his cradleboard. It is titled, My Son is Going to be a Weaver.
I love this piece for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is just beautiful, and secondly, in today's world, we should acknowledge the idea of a man becoming a weaver. Many men are creating beautiful weavings today. The concept that Marilyn envisions her son carrying on the traditional is nice to see expressed artistically.
The second piece that we received from Alvin is just as special. It is called Cheii or Maternal Grandfather. It is a portrait of Duigi Nez, a Navajo Medicine man Alvin remembers from his youth.
The man's face exudes strength and character. His eyes gaze into the future, and his face is carved with furrows of wisdom. His traditional hairstyle, the bandana wrapped around his forehead, and the old-style earrings attest to his age and the time from which he came.
One of the reasons I so admire stone sculptors like Alvin Marshall, and others is that there is so little room for error in what they do. If you are a bronze sculptor (not to say that is an easy art) but don't like the nose you created on the original wax, you can take it off, put a new piece of wax back on and reshape it.
When carving in stone, if you hit the hammer too hard or move the drill the wrong way, you can ruin a sculpture! People who do these carvings have to be careful. And they have to be able to look into a stone and see what they will create.
I love what Alvin Marshall sees in a stone!
