This wide jar by Les Namingha a creative blend of Hopi-Tewa and modernist designs.  The jar is a wide shape with a short neck.  It is fully painted on top with a complex pattern of Hopi-Tewa style birds.  The birds are painted against a background of triangular clouds. The birds are of various colors and they are each made up of different Hopi designs.  Take a closer look at the top view and the dynamic variations of each layer of readily apparent.  This jar is part of his “Urban Polychrome” series, of which Les says:

“The concept of layering is inherent in our mortal journey. As time moves forward, our memories become layered. Some memories remain vibrant, others faint or hazy. Yet others, obscure or even hidden. Likewise, our experiences, words, works, emotions, prayers and songs build up in layers creating our existence. In turn, our societal interactions become exercises in layering. We see this in evidence with street art or graffiti writing where layers of thought and a desire to express a “proof of existence” create tapestries of color and marks. Blending, covering, harmonizing, dissonance, disappearing. This concept of layering is the idea behind Urban Polychrome and other works in the Urban Series.”  Les Namingha