This painting by Les Namingha is entitled, “Patterns, Black on Bronze”. The painting is acrylic and metallic pigments on canvas.  I think in the photos don’t quite capture the texture of the background.  However, the painting is a series of very delicately painted bird wings which ebb and flow across the canvas.  Stepping back and various new shapes appear.  It is a striking use of a very classic Hopi design in a repetitive style to create a larger and more dynamic painting. I attached a few additional photos of the piece installed in the gallery.

“The concept of layering is inherent in our mortal journey. As time moves forward, our memories become layered. Some memories remain vibrant, others faint or hazy. Yet others, obscure or even hidden. Likewise, our experiences, words, works, emotions, prayers and songs build up in layers creating our existence. In turn, our societal interactions become exercises in layering. We see this in evidence with street art or graffiti writing where layers of thought and a desire to express a “proof of existence” create tapestries of color and marks. Blending, covering, harmonizing, dissonance, disappearing. This concept of layering is the idea behind Urban Polychrome and other works in the Urban Series.”