Les Namingha is one of those potters who continues to defy expectations in his innovative clay art.  This jar brings together his amazing talent to balance history and modernism.  This jar is called, “Blossom” and much like a flower, it is various pieces to make one whole. The physical jar is reconstructed, much in the style of the pottery made by Pueblo writer and advocate Rick Dillingham.  Each of the various sections is painted after being put back together.  The lines connecting the various pieces can barely be felt and takes a moment to grasp that reconstructed nature of the piece.  However, the name comes from the various traditional plant patterns seen on the jar.  Around the neck are checkerboard agave designs surrounded by almost modernist fineline patterns.  There is a checkerboard pattern around the shoulder of the piece and below larger flower designs. Beyond the designs it is the color which then unfolds like a history of Hopi pottery.  There is the classic ware on the top with the blush.  Below are sections which are brown-on white (like early Polacca Polychrome)  and white-on-red (like ancient Tonto Basin pottery).  There is a small black-on-red checkerboard area which reminds us of the other red clay which is not so often used in Hopi pottery today.  The more highly colored blue areas are certain a nod to the color strength of Les’s pottery and the symbolism of the colors in Hopi tradition.  Les also added something special to this piece with the cloth flowers, which again add another layer of symbolism to the “Blossom” name. In addition to all the content contained in this piece, there is also the texture!  The cloth and clay create an amazing textural feel which makes this a piece which demands to be held.

Les says of the use of cloth on the vessel, “Years back, I used cloth material on some pots. I liked the results and planned on doing some more collage works at some point. Recently , my mother being a seamstress , had a nice collection of scrap cloth which led me to decide to use some of those prints, that had interesting patterns, on some tiles and pots. Most of what my mom sews together are for ceremonial purposes; men and women’s shirts and dresses for dances.”

Les continues to be excite us with each new piece and it’s great to see how he has brought such thought to one vessel!  It is signed on the bottom.

m.