The work of Diné photographer Rapheal Begay presents an account of the Navajo Nation—without ever directly portraying any people—by focusing on the land and the material and visual culture of the people. By bringing these photographs into our museum and combining them with a small selection of related material culture from our collection, the Navajo Nation, and New Mexico, the Maxwell Museum offers an opportunity to engage with a contemporary portrait of Diné people, picturing the land and culture viewed through the camera lens and words of Raphael Begay. A Vernacular Response is the documentation of land and environment and the symbolism, perspective, and imagination refl ective of the Diné way of life. An ongoing theme in the series is the acknowledgement and celebration of Indigenous innovation and future forward imaging. One can discern the role of creativity within Navajo art and life as a strategy for survival. The Navajo cultural teaching of hozho expresses the intellectual concept of order, the emotional state of happiness, the biological condition of health and well-being, and the aesthetic dimensions of balance, harmony, and beauty. Thus, concept and content become synonymous with one another as both elements become interchangeable within the frame of the image.
