“Over the past several years, I have explored Native American Futurism within the context of Star Wars imagery. Recently, I have tried to reconcile that the ideas of Bigfoot or UFO’s are some new phenomena. The truth is these have long been part of Native American cultural identity. We have revered the “Sky People” and […]
Susan Folwell began her journey into a Native re-interpretation of the Taos Society of Artists in 2017. Since then, the work has found its way into museums, from the Eiteljorg Museum permanent collection to an exhibition at the Harwood in Taos, New Mexico. This show continues this provocative and thoughtful journey. “Pueblo Perspectives” is an […]
Gallery Statement: Chase Kawinhut Earles is one of the leading Caddo potters working today. He’s not just a revivalist but creating his own modernist versions inspired by historic Caddo pottery. Many people are more familiar with the forms and techniques of Pueblo pottery from the Southwest. Caddo pottery creates a new learning curve. Caddo pottery […]
Current Work Available A Brief History: In 1900, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, was a small village with only 30 households. Pueblo pottery production had significantly declined in its creation for practical purposes, and in the 1910 census, there were only eight women who were potters by occupation. Around this time, ethnographers such as Kenneth Chapman and Edgar Hewitt began […]
Blue Corn was born Crucita Gonzales in 1921 at San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. Over the course of the next 70 years, she would become one of the leading names in Pueblo pottery. Her classic black and red pottery would be replaced by her own innovative polychrome vessels using a variety of clay slips […]
Susan Folwell began her journey into a Native re-interpretation of the Taos Society of Artists in 2017. Since then, the work has found its way into museums from the Eiteljorg Museum permanent collection to an exhibition at the Harwood in Taos, New Mexico. This show continues this provocative and thoughtful journey. “Canvas to Clay, Pueblo […]
Joseph Lonewolf begins his pottery career with a splash. His “pottery jewels” were a unique and new approach to Santa Clara pottery in shapes, sizes, and designs. Each piece was coil built, stone polished and traditionally fired. The process to design each piece was to very lightly etch the surface or “sgraffito” the designs into […]
Contemporizing the Pueblo Pottery Past How does Pueblo pottery best embrace its traditions and historic past as it enters the new era of modern ceramic influences? This question, certainly more relevant today than the old trope of “what is traditional pottery,” underscores the future directions and impact of this important Native art form. This […]
Sarafina Tafoya (1863-1949), Santa Clara Matriarch Understanding the signed pottery of SaraFina Tafoya from 1933 to 1949 by Charles S. King Sara Fina Tafoya (1863-1949) is among the most renown of the early Santa Clara potters. She was the matriarch of a dynasty of potters, included among her children were Camilio Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, and Christina […]
In the early years of San Ildefonso signed pottery, there are three individual potters of the same name who were all active at the same time: Juanita Gonzales (1909-1988), Juanita Pena (1900-1987) and Juanita Vigil (1898-1933). However, over the years, there has been a continual mix-up and misidentification of their work. They all simply signed […]
“Revival Rising” Ohkay Owingeh Pottery This show features Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (formerly San Juan Pueblo) pottery from 1930s-1960s. Charles King has collected the pottery for this show for more than a decade. Why so long? Many of these potters were not very prolific. Also, finding pieces which were not damaged over nearly 70 years has […]
In 2017, Virgil Ortiz conceptualized his first show of Taboo. It was a unique opportunity for him to engage the unacceptable or forbidden through his work in clay. The success of the show reflected not only his creativity but spoke to people in a way that allowed them to explore their own feelings about these […]
Art Cody Haungooah (1943-1985) is remembered for his innovative take on traditional Pueblo pottery. Since the height of his fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s, his name, unique design style, and early passing has given him a certain enigmatic quality. For those who remember, he began making pottery at a time when his […]
From 1922-4, Sarafina Tafoya (1863-1949) created a series of “carved” vessels. These were among the first to incorporate a style of animal figurative designs and denoted the first step to a carved style which would become part of the Pueblo’s artistic lexicon in the 1930s. The idea of “space” can be viewed as the clay […]
Virgil Ortiz Says of his new work: “Creativity comes to me from continuing the story of my Cochiti people and how we see the world around us. Our art from the late 1800’s told the stories of what those people were experiencing at that time. That opened the door for me to use Taboo […]
Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya Born of Fire The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya, is a name that brings to mind a woman known for her strong will, stoicism, and traditional pottery. For her, respect and honor were earned through a lifetime of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Small in stature, […]
Peering Though Taos Light: Reflections in Clay of the Taos Society of Artists Through the Pottery of Susan Folwell and Jody Folwell The idea for the show is founded in the classic paintings of the Taos Society of Artists which formed in 1915 and disbanded in 1927. These painters were attracted to Taos, the light, […]
Defining Diego Romero’s Imagery: For the past twenty years Diego Romero has been making art that transcends his Native American Indian heritage. While using the “traditional” materials, techniques and forms of Southwestern Indian pottery he uses comic book inspired iconography to chronicle Native life. As a student at the Institute of American Indian Art in […]
In July, 2014, I had a chance to sit down with Santa Clara potter Nathan Youngblood in his studio near Santa Fe, NM and ask him a few questions about his art and career. I have been lucky to be working with Nathan for nearly 20 years. You would think by now I would be […]
At the end of July, 2014, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Cochiti potter, designer and all-around Pueblo Renaissance artist Virgil Ortiz. I’ve been lucky to work with him and his family for almost 15 years. Believe it or not there is always something new for me to learn about his […]
On June 18, 2014, I had a chance to sit down and ask Santa Clara potter Susan Folwell a few questions about her pottery and her career. Susan is an amazing potter and artist and her work includes numerous styles and facets. She is smart and funny and so thoughtful about her art. It was […]
The Rockwell Museum in Corning, NY seems a bit of an out of the way place to find some amazing Pueblo and Tribal pottery. However, their new exhibition, “On Fire!“, which features primarily pieces from the Cameros Collection, has some breathtaking pieces. The original installation and collection was documented in the book, “Crafted to Perfection”. […]
Tina Diaz (b.1946) and her sister Linda Cain (b. 1949) are two of the seven children of potter Mary Cain (1915-2010). They are granddaughters of Christina Naranjo (1891-1980) and great-nieces of Margaret Tafoya (1904-2001). Such a distinguished family linage would make one think they would be bound to more traditional pottery shapes, designs and imagery. However, for over 30 years they have been among […]
