Youngblood, Nathan – Red and Tan Serving Bowl (2005)
$ 2,800.00
This is a deeply carved tri-color serving bowl by Nathan Youngblood. The bowl is inspired by the traditional serving bowls used at the pueblo. The bowl is not flat and has an indentation on one side where you would put your thumb in order to scoop soup or stew out of a larger bowl. When Nathan made this piece, he wanted to focus on traditional shapes, and the serving bowl was a perfect form for him to consider function, form, and art. As the bowl is not flat, it created an indented surface that was more difficult for carving. The center of the serving bowl is deeply carved with a swirling water design. It is polished a deep red color. The edge is polished tan, the natural color of the clay. Did you know that the tan coloration in Santa Clara pottery is one of the most difficult to achieve? The tan coloration is achieved by adding water to the surface of the dry vessel and then beginning to stone polish. The film created on the surface becomes the “slip” and the tan is actually the natural color of the clay. It is VERY difficult to get a high shine to the tan. As well, during a traditional firing, it is also the riskiest as smoke and ash can easily discolor the surface. The hoped-for result is an even caramel coloration on the surface of the piece. Nathan is one of only a handful of potters who use this technique, and his are always exceptional. This piece has a deep tan coloration combined with a dark red. They work together visually, with a high, glossy polish. On Nathan’s red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear! It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and hallmarked name in Tewa, which means “Deer Path”.
In stock
This is a deeply carved tri-color serving bowl by Nathan Youngblood. The bowl is inspired by the traditional serving bowls used at the pueblo. The bowl is not flat and has an indentation on one side where you would put your thumb in order to scoop soup or stew out of a larger bowl. When Nathan made this piece, he wanted to focus on traditional shapes, and the serving bowl was a perfect form for him to consider function, form, and art. As the bowl is not flat, it created an indented surface that was more difficult for carving. The center of the serving bowl is deeply carved with a swirling water design. It is polished a deep red color. The edge is polished tan, the natural color of the clay. Did you know that the tan coloration in Santa Clara pottery is one of the most difficult to achieve? The tan coloration is achieved by adding water to the surface of the dry vessel and then beginning to stone polish. The film created on the surface becomes the “slip” and the tan is actually the natural color of the clay. It is VERY difficult to get a high shine to the tan. As well, during a traditional firing, it is also the riskiest as smoke and ash can easily discolor the surface. The hoped-for result is an even caramel coloration on the surface of the piece. Nathan is one of only a handful of potters who use this technique, and his are always exceptional. This piece has a deep tan coloration combined with a dark red. They work together visually, with a high, glossy polish. On Nathan’s red and tan pieces, after they are fired, he uses screwdrivers to scrape the background area and the side of the carving. This can take almost as much time as the carving or polishing itself! Amazing the amount of time that goes into each vessel and yet how stunning they appear! It is signed on the bottom in the clay with his name and hallmarked name in Tewa, which means “Deer Path”.
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Youngblood, Nathan (b. 1954)
Nathan Youngblood
Nathan Youngblood is the grandson of noted potter Margaret Tafoya and the son of Mela Youngblood; Nathan has a traditional legacy of highly polished, deep, carved pottery. In 1976, he moved in with his grandparents and began an intense apprenticeship making pottery under their guidance. Attention to the small details was also imparted to him by his mother and grandmother. His work's precision is particularly evident in his forms, which have near geometric perfection in shape and symmetry. Nathan says, "I realize I don't make pots; I'm just involved in the process. The clay does what it wants and goes where it wants to go. I stick my hands in the clay, and where it goes, I follow."
Nathan Youngblood's clay art has evolved dramatically throughout his career. His early work focused on classic Santa Clara shapes and designs. In the early 1990s, Nathan re-examined his experiences with art worldwide and how it could be incorporated as part of his designs. His love of Asian ceramics influenced how he designed his pottery and utilized matte and polished surfaces to emphasize form. As a result, the designs seemed more complicated, less linear, and more ethereal in concept. As a result, he "opened the door for other potters to use clay as a vehicle for their personal and cultural experiences."
Over the years, Nathan has won over 140 awards for his pottery. He is one of only a handful of Santa Clara potters who use natural clay slips to create color contrasts of red and tan in his pottery. This combination of polished red and tan sections with matte or micaceous surfaces has become the new Santa Clara "polychrome." Throughout his career, he has continually built on the lessons learned from his mother and grandmother. This legacy has created a solid foundation for the evolution of his pottery, and "he has set the bar high for any potter to balance creativity, innovation, and technical expertise.