Jody Folwell is known for her creative pottery shapes and designs.  This jar has an asymmetric shape with a sloping rim. The piece is polished tan above the shoulder and red below the shoulder.  Above the shoulder, the jar is incised with clouds, mountains, and lighting designs.  Below the shoulder, the jar has waves and a tiny fish near the base!  The inciseds areas are textured in contrast to the polished surfaces.  While today, this style may not seem “revolutionary” in Pueblo pottery, in the 1970s, it was a major deviation from classic forms, colors, and designs. Jody began to create pieces that were unique shapes, only partially polished, and then still traditionally fired.  They are creative and stand the test of time!  The bowl is signed, “Jody” on the bottom.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

“For the asymmetrical shape, I early on thought about how everything was so symmetrical in the Indian world. How far can I go to make a change?  It was a little tiny change of not having everything so symmetrical. Once that became a part of Pueblo tradition, I went on to something else. With the half-polished areas, again, being very observant of other cultures and their artwork. I had seen a bamboo pottery show where only part of the vessel was polished. I called these the Japanese Volcanic pieces.”  Jody Folwell, Spoken Through Clay

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Folwell, Jody (b. 1942)

Jody Folwell

Jody Folwell has long been one of the essential innovators in Pueblo pottery.  She is the daughter of Rose Naranjo and the mother of potters Polly Rose Folwell and Susan Folwell.  Her pottery is displayed in museums around the country, and her work is featured in numerous books, including "The Art of Clay" and "Legacy of Generations." Her revolutionary work of the 1970s changed the surface of Santa Clara pottery with her distinctive firings, use of various clay slips, and utilizing non-traditional design elements.  Creative patina and a wide variety of subject matter in her designs follow elements of traditional Pueblo subjects and reach out to current events of the world.  Today, Jody continues to evolve in her art, and each piece brings together different aspects of her long history of making pottery.