Dan Namingha, Vertical Passage
Dan Namingha
Hopi - Tewa
born 1950 Keams Canyon, Arizona; lives Santa Fe, New Mexico
Vertical Passage
1998
bronze
Albuquerque Museum, gift of Dr. Loren Lipson
PC2005.64.3
Dan Namingha’s sculpture, Vertical Passage, guides the eye from the earth to the sky with references to Hopi symbols serving as guides between the two. The sculpture incorporates an interaction between positive and negative space. The negative space creates a strong and dynamic line that moves between the darker bronze geometric shapes. The sculpture also engages with time and light as different shadows are cast throughout the day. According to Namingha, “the idea is to give the viewer partial images, passageways into other aspects that might be unknown. Such as when the general public witnesses one of our ceremonies, they are only going to get a glimpse of what is going on.”