Niman Kachina Dance c. 1925 - 1930

Fred Kabotie made this watercolor of a Niman Kachina Dance, and wow, does it have a different way of seeing. It’s flat, graphic, but also rhythmic, like a musical score, and it clearly puts process first. The colors are so carefully laid down, like the artist is building up a pattern, especially in the way the green is hatched on the skirts. Kabotie’s really working the surface, making the paint do a lot of work. Look at the details on the headdresses. He’s not trying to hide anything. The brushstrokes are right there. The real magic happens with the repetition of the figures, lined up like that. I’m thinking about someone like Hilma af Klint, who was also interested in the spiritual, using repetition and abstraction to create new forms. Art is an ongoing conversation, and Kabotie has found his unique voice in it. It’s all about ambiguity, layers, and the sheer joy of making.