Today, it is common for Pueblo and Navajo artists to paint or carve religious figures. Many Zuni artists portray the Kachinas and sell these works. In fact, in the Catholic Church in Zuni, artist Alex Seowtewa spent 21 years painting murals of dancers on the inside walls, which the people of the village love.
But back in the 1930s, that wasn't the case. Percy Sandy, who first developed his love of art at the Zuni elementary school and later at the Santa Fe Indian School, was heavily criticized for depicting sacred Zuni ceremonies and Kachinas to the point that he left the village.
Percy ended up living in Taos Pueblo, where he married Peggy Mirabel. He continued to paint figures from his Pueblo's religious ceremonies but also enjoyed painting wildlife. Because of the multiple influences on his art, Percy's work sometimes resembled early Pueblo artists, sometimes took on the character of the Dorothy Dunn School of Art at the Santa Fe Indian School, and was sometimes a blend.
His watercolor paintings evolved so that, rather than exhibit the solid lines and two-dimensional nature taught at the school, his wispy application had soft edges. His work was always unique, and he was sought out for special projects, including painting murals in the La Fonda Hotel, the Blackjack School, and Hospital on the Zuni Reservation. He illustrated books, exhibited his work in galleries in Santa Fe, and had one show in Los Angeles.
In 1940, in the book American Indian Painters, he was quoted as saying, "depicting authentically the customs of my people. This, I hope, will be my small contribution to a great race."
His career was cut short in 1959 when he was seriously injured in an automobile accident. Following the accident, he could only paint periodically due to the pain. He continued to exhibit his work, which was still done to the same standards as his early paintings, but it was painfully slow to complete.
His work is featured in many museum collections, including the Smithsonian, the Gilcrease Institute, and the Philbrook Art Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; the Indian Arts and Crafts Board in Washington, D.C.; the Museum of Northern Arizona; the Museum of New Mexico; and the United Pueblo Agency in New Mexico.
We are lucky to have a few of Sandy's paintings, some of wildlife, and two depicting Zuni Kachina dancers. He was an accomplished and admired artist in his day, and his work still stands out for its unique qualities. One wonders how it would have evolved had he not had that fateful automobile accident.