The Principle of Contagion in Walbiri and Dineh Drypainting

A detailed Summary of The Principle of Contagion in Walbiri and Dineh Drypainting

Art in traditional, non-industrial societies was always fundamentally associated with the sacred, meaning it participated in the realm of deity. In fact, the term "art", as it is used today, was not a term found in most cultures of the past. The artifacts, paintings, sculpture, and other stylized material objects created by ancient cultures, which are regarded as art today, were used instead by those people for very real purposes. Before

the time of ready-made paints and duplicate printmaking, endeavors into the creation of objects other than those absolutely necessary for survival were time-consuming indeed and required special preparation and planning. Everything that human beings used was found in nature, and thus the relationship of man to his environment was reinforced everyday; his very survival depended upon it. Because of the direct nature of man's tie to

the Earth, ancient beliefs about the sacred were also based upon nature, and the respect and reverence given to the natural world was much greater than it is today. Ceremonies and rituals were practiced frequently, often in accordance with seasonal changes,harvesting times, and moon patterns. Animals were paid homage and were often believed to be the ancestors o

by the reenactment of the paintings. Eliade also asserts that, "Men's religious behavior contributes to maintaining the sanctity of the world" (p.99). In the Dineh hogon ceremonies, the patient is trying to sanctify himself, and his society as well.

teach gender roles to children as well.

Features of the landscape, unusual geological formations, certain hills or caves, were thought to possess mystical powers or be divine creations themselves. As a whole,humans were more aware of their connection and dependence on the forces of nature and sought to live in harmony with these forces. Thus, ancient "art" was a reflection of this holistic worldview, forever tied to nature and connected to the sacred.

in Christian rituals in parts of Latin America, and in Japan, where they are done for ornamental purposes only. In this paper, the drypainting focused on will be the Walbiri and the Dineh, and a comparison will be made between the two, primarily on the issue of drypainting ritual as an example of contagion, or direct participation, with the art, in some cases with actual physical contact. It is the principle of contagion which serves to connect the drypaintings with the people themselves, so that the painting are actually and

The art of these two societies shows the complexity of interpretation that ancient cultures had in looking at the world. They perhaps saw connections, meanings, and abstractions that modern peoples may never again see. It is amazing to look at the detail in the Dineh work, its impressive symbolism, or the Walbiri creativity, the complex relationships in their Dreaming works. Is it a wonder that these societies were ever called

is that there is a delicate balance within nature, and that ones true state is harmonious and beautiful, which is termed "hozho" The nine-day ritual is conducted in a series of purification through sweating, chanting, and the drawing of sandpaintings. The ceremony takes place in a large lodge, called a hogon, and is accompanied by the chanter, the patient, and a large array of singers and dancers, holy people, and relatives and friends.

Navajo sandpainting looks entirely different from Walbiri sandpainting, in its shapes and patterns. As illustrated in figures 3 and 4, Navajo sandpainting (fig.4) places a great emphasis on symmetry and repetition, whereas Walbiri painting is almost always asymmetrical and uses a variety of different sized figures and designs. Though both pictures show human-like figures, the similarity in form basically stops there. One common aspect that is seen in both cultures is the use of circular forms as illustrated in

over that of the individual. In such societies there is little benefit for excess material items, so the need to preserve the paintings was not considered important. In fact, during the commercialization of Navajo sandpainting, many Navajo were greatly bothered and even angered by the fact that the paintings were unable to be erased. The permanency of them defeated the special nature of the painting as being temporal, existing in real time, the purpose of which to be symbolic of life, and man, itself. Nevermind the fact that producing paintings for a profit went against the entire Navajo worldview. The paintings

primitive, especially when one looks at modern art today. The

Some common words found in the essay are:
Walbiri Iconography, , Walbiri Dineh, Walbiri Dreamingsto, Dineh Walbiri, Alien Powers/Wherever, Night Chant, Richard Anderson, Mircea Eliade, Holy Person, rain/in beauty, navajo sandpainting, beauty rain/in beauty, art walbiri, sand story, walbiri dineh, society art, holy person, direct nature, identification patient, rain/in beauty rain/in, navajo night chant, ancient cultures,

Approximate Word count = 2235
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History