We are excited to announce the first bronze from Jared Tso!  The bronze is cast from an original clay sculpture. Jared’s clay goat figures are a quintessential style of his work.  The bronze is entitled, “Hastiin Goldie”. Jared says of the title, “Each time I make a ram, they each seem to have a different personality.  I wanted this one to be about the color and material.”

“When I was younger, I saw the clay goats made by my grandmother, Faye Tso.  I admired how she had turned a vessel into a figurative ram.  Later, with my father, one day we started making rams together, and that was my first one in clay. They are difficult to make but an important part of my overall creative style.”

Why a goat?

“Navajo perspectives and lives are deeply connected to their livestock and animals, and even more specifically, sheep.  People make a living from the goats and sheep, and as I make them out of clay, they are also now part of my livelihood.  While I don’t have my own sheep, I still want to honor the legacy of the weavers who raise their own sheep for wool.  It is grounding to a part of this connection through the clay.”

“The Churro Ram and its wool is iconic in Navajo weaving.  They are distinctive in having from two to six horns, and that gives me creative freedom, which I am making one in clay.  When I make them, I continually want to develop the shape more each time.”

From Clay to Bronze

There is naturally an overlap between clay and sculpture.  There is a different type of permanence to bronze versus the innate fragility of clay.  Bronze can also read differently, especially on the surface, in a way that traditional pottery cannot.  For this piece, I helped design the patina over a day-long process.  The patina is created on the metal surface by heating it with a flame.  The surface of all of my pots are also impacted by flame in the outdoor firing.  For me, it was a similar experience, within a different context and using different techniques.”

There are 15 in this edition.  There is up to a 60-day wait to have them cast and delivered.  Each piece is numbered and signed.  You can request a number, but we cannot guarantee you will receive the number you request.