Shana Garcia is known for her creative shaped and sculptural rim pottery.   Each piece is coil built and painted with yucca to create the long thin lines.  This tall jar has a lightning design which spirals up to the rim. The rim is sculpted with additional clay to create the bird wing pattern and additional yucca and rain patterns.  Shana said the shape of the rim is meant to represent the birds over the kivas.  It is striking how she is able to combine such traditional imagery with such a modern appearance!

This is an exceptional jar by Paul Naranjo.  It is fully polished to a glassy surface.  Honestly, one of the toughest pieces to photograph!  However, the polish is amazing and the entire surface of the jar is fully polished!  There are two maidens in traditional dress and they are separated by an eagle head.  There is a water serpent in the background, which is a designs often used by Paul on the background of his pieces.  Along the neck and the base are kiva step designs, and there are plant patterns around the base as well.  Paul fired his pottery a dark, chocolate color, for which he was well known. His pieces can be seen in the “Beyond Traditions” book by Jerry Jacka.  The jar has unique color variations in the brown which further enhance the designs.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The jar also won a ribbon at the 1987 Gallup Ceremonials, which adds to its important provenance.

Shana Garcia is known for her creative shaped and sculptural rim pottery.   Each piece is coil built and painted with yucca to create the long thin lines.  This large jar has a spiraling yucca or plant design extending up from the shoulder to the rim. The rim is sculpted with additional clay to create the bird wing pattern and additional yucca and rain patterns.  Shana said the shape of the rim is meant to represent the birds over the kivas.  It is striking how she is able to combine such traditional imagery with such a modern appearance!

This canteen by Loren Ami was made in recognition of the solar eclipse of 2017.  It has the sun design on the front and note on the left side he used the brown clay slip and the right the red.  It symbolizes the eclipse in a visually striking manner!  The handles and neck are polished with a red clay slip.  Loren also braided the leather strap.  He learned to make pottery from Dextra Quotskuyva and the canteens were one of the special pieces she taught him to make.  Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays (red) and bee-weed (black) and outdoor fired.  The red areas are stone polished and there is a bit of mica in the red clay.   This piece is signed on the back with his name and a spider design for the Spider Clan.  Loren is certainly one of the traditionalist Hopi-Tewa potters to watch.

Spectacular!  This is a remarkable piece from Luciano.  It is one of his largest vessels to date and it is a technically difficult wide shoulder jar!  Few Santa Clara potters attempt this shape as the native clay does not always work well for making wide pieces.  This jar has been fired a dark, rich brown coloration.  There is just a slight lip, which adds to the overall elegance of the form.  However, it is the incised imagery which makes the jar so dynamic.  There is an etched eagle, elk, geese, rabbit, bugling elk, big horn sheep and butterfly!  They are each etched into the surface of the clay in a blend of realism and traditional Santa Clara two-dimensional style of art.  Note as well how Luciano has scraped down the tan background area, which creates such and elegant appearance and also a strong visual contrast with the design.  Again, it is a distinguishing technical aspect of this piece which is very time consuming.  It is great to see a younger potter taking chances on such major work.  Luciano is definitely one of those younger potters to watch!

This Zuni carving by Derrick Kaamasee is carved from turquoise. There are two eagles and a small baby eagle on the branch by their feet.  The piece is very intricately carved with much detail to the wings. The eyes are inlaid with jet.

This Zuni carving by Lena Boone is made from glass.  The mountain lion is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass is a clear, white and pink coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from glass.  The mountain lion is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass has a green, blue, yellow and clear coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from glass.  The beaver is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The glass has a green, blue, yellow and clear coloration.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from azurite.  The eagle is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back.  The azurite has a deep blue coloration with specs of green.

This Zuni carving by Daphne Quam is made from turquoise.  This fox is traditional in shape and has an arrowhead bundle on its back. The turquoise has some great color variation.

Dominique Toya is known for her intricately carved pottery with sharp ridged melon swirls.  She has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This is one of her miniatures which has been fired black.  The seedpot has a triangular opening and there are alternating polished and micaceous clay swirls. The micaceous sections are carved into the clay and slipped with mica and when fired have almost a gunmetal appearance. The polished sections are flatter.  Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues to be one of the leading Jemez potters working today!

Dominique Toya is known for her intricately carved pottery with sharp ridged melon swirls.  She has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This is one of her miniatures.  The bowl is fully polished red on the bottom and the top half has a 16 very sharply carved melon ribs which swirl around from the mouth.  They are slipped with a micaceous clay.  The bowl has been traditionally fired and the coloration is striking!  Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues to be one of the leading Jemez potters working today!

This plate by Maria Martinez is one of her classic pieces.  It was made by Maria Martinez and painted by her daughter-in-law Santana.It has a nearly gunmetal appearance to the surface of the piece. The design the feather pattern which was originated by Maria’s husband, Julian.  Here, Santana has painted it in a very symmetrical style.  The surface is nearly flawless and it is beautiful in the flow of the design on the slightly curved surface.  It is signed on the back in the clay, “Marie + Santana”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  Definitely a classic!  

To learn more about Maria’s signatures, click here.

Dominique Toya is known for her intricately carved pottery with sharp ridged melon swirls.  She has created her distinctive style of pottery using native clay and micaceous clay slips for the surface.  This is one of her miniatures.  The bowl has 12 ribs carving swirling around the piece.  They are deeply carved and have a very sharp edge. They are slipped with a micaceous clay to give them the coloration.  Uniquely, the top of the bowl has a triangular opening, which adds to the dramatic appearance of the rib spiral.  The bowl has been traditionally fired and the coloration is striking!  Dominique has won numerous awards for her pottery and continues to be one of the leading Jemez potters working today!

This Zuni carving by Derrick Kaamasee is carved from turquoise. There are two buffalo in this highly detailed carving.  There is the larger buffalo and the baby buffalo sitting to the side!  The eyes are inset with jet.  It is a charming piece!

Jamie Zane Smith creates dynamic pieces which combine strong forms with stamped surface designs. This striking jar is made with Oklahoma clay and coil built.  Jamie carves a stamp out of wood and uses that to texture his pottery.  This jar has a water swirl pattern to complement the water jar form.  The rim has swirl carved designs extending down the neck.  The top is carved in a traditional Iroquois style cooking vessel with the square edged sections on the top.  It’s the surface which is most interesting.  It is polished to give it the appearance of leather!  The inside of the neck is also fully burnished. The jar is thin walled and beautifully constructed.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay.  Jamie brings together a multitude of dimensions in his work blending the historic past with his modern visions.  Jamie remains one of the young creative potters bringing life to the clay in an area outside the southwest.

Loren Ami’s pottery is inspired by traditional Hopi designs and forms. Each piece is coil built, painted with native clays (red) and bee-weed (black) and outdoor fired.  This jar is one of his classic shapes with a wide shoulder and a turned out neck.  Loren said that the design on this jar was inspired by the Hilili Katsina.  The are inspired by the mask worn by the katsina.  The Hilili Katsina’s name comes from the call or noise that he makes. He is a Guard Kachina, who is mainly seen holding Yucca whips. He has become a popular guard at the ceremonies due to his dancing style. He can bee seen in the Powamu and Night dances.  The jar has been traditionally fired which creates the blushes on the surface.  Note the use of the mica in the red clay slip!  It is signed on the bottom.

Calvin Analla learned to  make pottery from his sister, Yvonne Lucas and her husband, Steve Lucas.  This large water jar is thin walled and made with the traditional red clay from Laguna Pueblo. The jar is painted with bee-weed, into which he has mixed some mica.  The mica makes reflections in the clay.  Calvin is known for his very delicately painted designs.  This jar has cloud designs above the shoulder and plant designs below.  The thin lines painted with the bee-weed show create a striking contrast with the red clay.  It is signed on the bottom.

Spoken Through Clay

A NEW  RELEASE SPECIAL:  $95.00, including shipping (US)! Check out the new review in the Denver Post!

 Just a few things which make this book unique!

*   The size!  The book is 11.75″ x 14.25″ and weights over 8 pounds!
*  The photography of the pottery is stunning, emphasizing the individual pieces.
*  Each caption is the artist discussing the individual piece on the page.
*  The artist “biographies” are from interviews with the artists and they discuss their art, culture, lives and history.
*  Organization: The book is not organized by pueblo or family, but entails new ways to think about the future of Native pottery.
*  Printing in Italy gives the book very high quality color and paper.
* The photos of the living artists were taken by Will Wilson using a tin-type process. He was a recipient of the 2107 New Mexico Governor’s Award for the Arts in photography!
*  The book features work by more than 30 contemporary potters and more than a dozen important historic potters.
*  There are essays by myself, Peter Held and Eric Dobkin.  They add to the overall understanding of the project a historic perspective.

_____________________________________________

August 18, Pasatiempo Review

“Charles S. King’s new book, Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery in the Southwest, The Eric S. Dobkin Collection, is spectacularly heavy —which is a problem from a practical standpoint, because once you open it, you won’t want to put it down. With dreamy tintype artist portraits by Diné photographer Will Wilson, dazzlingly crisp images from Addison Doty, and intimate first-person essays written by dozens of artists, the book is a visually delicious, intellectually consuming foray into historic and contemporary Southwestern pottery. In short, prepare to swoon.

“It’s one of the things that makes us who we are. It’s what holds our family together. We are a family of potters. It’s our identity. People don’t realize how much work goes into it just processing the clay and making it. You have to do it with your heart.”—Linda Tafoya-Sanchez

FEATURED ARTISTS Grace Medicine Flower • Dextra Quotskuyva • Autumn Borts-Medlock • Jody Naranjo • Harrison Begay Jr. • Jordan Roller • Sara Fina Tafoya • Lonnie Vigil • Margaret Tafoya • Steve Lucas • LuAnn Tafoya • Loren Ami • Toni Roller • Popovi Da • Linda Tafoya-Sanchez • Mark Tahbo • James Ebelacker• Yvonne Lucas • Jeff Roller • Lisa Holt • Harlan Reano • Nampeyo • Jacquie Stevens • Nathan Youngblood • Jacob Koopee Jr. • Jennifer Moquino • Christopher Youngblood • Maria Martinez • Tony Da • Tammy Garcia • Virgil Ortiz • Joseph Lonewolf • Johnathan Naranjo • Nancy Youngblood • Les Namingha • Russell Sanchez • Christine McHorse • Richard Zane Smith • Rondina Huma • Susan Folwell • Dominique Toya • Jody Folwell

Spoken Through Clay features the pottery of iconic Native American artists from historic potters Nampeyo and Maria Martinez, to contemporary potters Tammy Garcia, Virgil Ortiz, and many others, are featured in a new book published by the Museum of New Mexico Press. Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery of the Southwest showcases nearly three hundred pottery vessels from the acclaimed Eric S. Dobkin Collection, covering a wide range of mostly Pueblo artists from the Southwest.

“The physical scale of the vessels combined with the depth of the contemporary collection [is] breathtaking,” says author Charles S. King. The book is part of a “transitional process of looking to the clay, the vessel, and the potter’s voice and allowing the pieces to stand on the merit of their artistic integrity.”

The book includes portraits and voices of renowned potters speaking about their artistry and technique, families, culture, and traditions. Many of the artists are connected by Pueblos, generations, or family members. Dynamic color photography captures the depth and dimension of the pieces, while the artists provide an illuminating perspective through narrative captions. Artists, academics, collectors, family members, and gallerists add additional insight about the lives, historical context, and importance of these potters and their work.

SPOKEN THROUGH CLAY Native Pottery of the Southwest The Eric S. Dobkin Collection
By Charles S. King Essay by Peter Held

Artist portraits by Will Wilson
ISBN: 978-0-89013-624-9

352 pages, 320 color plates, 40 artist portraits

Publication Date: August 01, 2017
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Charles S. King is the author of Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya, The Life and Art of Tony Da, Virgil Ortiz: Revolt 1680/2180, and numerous articles on Pueblo pottery. He has served on boards of art associations, judged pottery at prestigious events, and lectures about the art form. His business King Galleries represents many of today’s leading Native potters and important historic works in clay. Charles lives in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This jar is graphic portrayal of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 through the eyes of Jason Garcia.  The jar is coil built and painted with native clay slips to achieve the various colors.  It is part of his series of tiles and jars which focus on the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  The imagery captures both the revolt but definitely in a “Conan the Barbarian” style of graphic imagery!  Here the Pueblo warrior is defending a girl from the Conquistadors.  In the background there is billowing smoke and the burning church.  During the Pueblo Revolt the Pueblo people, led by Po’ Pay, defeated the Spanish and drove them from the Rio Grande region.  The painting on the jar is tightly executed and note the details in the figures.  The colors are all natural clay slips and the piece is traditionally fired.  It is signed on the bottom.

This Zuni carving is by Freddie Leekya.  The coyote is carved from travertine.  There are turquoise inlay for the eyes and coral for the tongue.  The back has an arrowhead as part of the medicine bundle.

This Zuni carving is by Calvin Haloo.  The badger is carved from Picasso Marble. It is highly detailed for the body of the piece.  The badger has a realistic appearance.  The arrowhead on the back is carved into the piece and there is an additional turquoise arrowhead on top.

This Zuni carving by Lena Boone. She is one of the most famous of the traditional Zuni fetish carvers. This badger is carved from turquoise and has a medicine bundle on it back.

Carol Velarde is known for her deeply carved pottery. This  bowl is deeply carved with a rain and lightning design.  Note how deeply she carves into the clay relative to the size of the bowl!  After it is carved and polished she then uses clay to outline the design.  Visually, this makes the imagery more dramatic.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

Bernice Naranjo is known for her innovative incised pottery.  This seedpot is fully polished and fired brown.  She has etched a series of lizards on the surface of the piece. Some are placed sitting on the red polished clay and others on fine-line etched sections reminiscent of the sand or pottery shards.  The piece is signed on the bottom.

Rose Gutierrez is a daughter of noted potter Helen Gutierrez and a sister of Geraldine Gutierrez and Kathy Gutierrez.  This is a simple bowl with a flower motif around the rim painted with cream colored clay.   The side of bowl has a painted spider as well as one on the inside. The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay.

This seedpot by Dean Haungooah is highly detailed complicated sgraffito designs. The seedpot has a fish on one side and a Tewa sun on the other.  There are additional Mimbres insects along with a pueblo wall.  The etching on the surface is on different levels, creating matte and polished designs. There is a single inset piece of shell bead for the eye of the fish.  The seedpot is from 1993 and it is signed, “Dean Haungooah”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Darlene Nampeyo James learned to make pottery from her aunts, Dextra Quotskuyva and Priscilla Nampeyo.  Her pottery is more traditional in style and she continues to use Hopi clay for her pottery and paint with bee-weed for the black.  This bowl is thin walled and very tightly painted.  The design depicts a thunderstorm at night.  There are stars painted on the rim of the bowl and with terraced clouds and lightning.  The mountains are painted below.  The bowl has been traditionally fired to create the variations in color on the surface.  It is signed on the bottom.

Lela Gutierrez began making pottery in the 1930’s with her husband, Van Gutierrez.  After Van passed away in 1956 she continued to make pottery with her son, Luther Gutierrez.  She would make the pieces and Luther would paint the designs.  They worked together for only 10 years from 1956 to 1966.  This small jar is a classic piece of their pottery with polychrome painted designs.  The imagery on this piece represents mountains and lightning.   All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips and painted onto the piece before it was fired.  It is signed on the bottom, “Lela/Luther”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Lela Gutierrez began making pottery in the 1930’s with her husband, Van Gutierrez.  After Van passed away in 1956 she continued to make pottery with her son, Luther Gutierrez.  She would make the pieces and Luther would paint the designs.  They worked together for only 10 years from 1956 to 1966.  This open bowl is a later piece of their pottery.  It has a triangular mountain design painted around the shoulder.  Above the mountains are cloud patterns, each with a different design.  “Inside” the mountains are various earth symbols.  All the various colors are derived from natural clay slips and painted onto the piece before it was fired.  It is signed on the bottom, “Lela/Luther”.  It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Shawn Tafoya is a son of Lucy YearFlower Tafoya, a grandson of Camilio Tafoya and a great-grandson of SaraFina Tafoya.  He began making art at the age of five. Although Shawn is a traditionalist in terms of material and technique, his pottery and Pueblo embroidery work is strikingly innovative, and he is well known for it. He has won numerous awards for his work, and has participated in many shows and exhibitions. Interestingly, Shawn is also one of the most gifted Pueblo textile embroiderers working today and teaches this traditional art throughout the northern villages. His pottery is often a unique balance of traditional and contemporary.  This round tile is inspired by the ancient Mimbres pottery of the 1100’s.  Here, he has painted a hunter with an antelope and a small dog at his feet.  The small dog is really a charming part of this piece!  The rim has fineline patterns painted with clay.  The piece is signed on the back in the clay.

Diana Tahbo was known for her tightly painted pottery and especially her beautiful miniatures.  This is an unusual piece as it is made with the red Hopi clay.  The design is a classic eagle with the tail to one side and the head to the other (the pointed end).  It is a classic style of Sikyatki design revived by Nampeyo of Hano.  Here Dianna has used it on half the bowl. The entire piece is fully polished, including the inside!  The bowl is from 1996 and it is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  It is signed on the bottom “Dianna Tahbo”.

Diego Romero was one of the potters around 1990 to break away from more classic  styles of Pueblo pottery. He returned to a pre-contact style of Mimbres culture (1100's in southwest New Mexico) and was inspired by the open bowl shape. This has been his “canvas” throughout most of his career.  However, he has also created a few vessels over time, which are also based on ancient shapes. This jar has a classic Chaco period form with the round body and elongated neck. The design here is derived from his Chongo character, who populates much of the iconography of his pottery.  Here, Chongo is out at night among giant Chongo heads, much like at Easter Island.  Here Chongo is standing among them with coyote in the background.  Note the stars at night, and maybe even a UFO!?   It is signed on the bottom, “Chongo Made Me, Chongo Painted Me”.  The bowl is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.  The jar has a round base, so we had a metal museum mount made for it to sit on, which gives it a very modern appearance!

Click here to read more about Diego's Imagery!

Click here to read more about Diego's Imagery!

Santa Clara potter Frances Salazar was known for her painted pottery.  This wedding vase is from the 1950’s.  It is fully polished and has a deer painted on each side.  Below the deer are cloud patterns and in front of the deer are prayer feathers.  The deer are painted in the classic Pueblo two-dimensional style and are charming and a bit whimsical as well.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Frances”.  It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There are some rubs on the surface.  Definitely a charming piece of Pueblo history!

Spectacular!  This is a remarkable piece from Luciano.  It is a beautiful shape with a wide shoulder and sloping neck. The entire jar is fully polished and the designs are etched into the clay. There are deer, a bear and wild turkey.  Flowing through the background of the jar is a water serpent (avanyu), which ties the entire piece together.  The area where he has etched away the polished surface he has then scraped down to create a striking contrast between the polished and matte surface.  The color from the firing on this jar is stunning as it is deep, rich brown.  It is great to see a younger potter taking chances on such major work.  Luciano is definitely one of those younger potters to watch!

Diego Romero was one of the potters around 1990 to break away from more classic shapes and styles of pottery. He returned to a pre-contact style of Mimbres culture (1100’s in southwest New Mexico) and was inspired by the open bowl shape. This has been his “canvas” throughout most of his career. The imagery evolves, changes and tells a narrative of his life and interests.  This very intricately painted bowl is entitled, “In the Beginning“.  It has the center panel there are all three of Diego’s iconic figures, Hound, Coyote and Fox.  They are at that defining moment of creation, with each of them in an intertwined dance in the cosmos.  The bowl is flared out and it is painted with a classic Mimbres design.  It is signed on the rim, “Chongo Made Me, Chongo Painted Me”.  The bowl is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Click here to read more about Diego’s Imagery!

This is a very powerful piece from Diego Romero.  The title of the bowl is “Fallen Angel” and is one of the pieces Diego has created over the years touching on the impact of addiction.  The painting is exceptional with a very simple figure and a very impactful statement created.  The bowl itself has the flared rim and two bands of intricately painted designs.  Diego was one of the potters around 1990 to break away from more classic shapes and styles of pottery. He returned to a pre-contact style of Mimbres culture (1100’s in southwest New Mexico) and was inspired by the open bowl shape. This has been his “canvas” throughout most of his career. The imagery evolves, changes and tells a narrative of his life and interests. It is signed on the rim, “Chongo Made Me, Chongo Painted Me”.  The bowl is in perfect condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Click here to read more about Diego’s Imagery!

Jody Folwell is known for her creative pottery shapes and designs.  This bowl is one of her classicforms with an asymmetrical polished rim.  The design on one side is a water serpent pattern which is etched into the clay.  The opposite side has a flower motif in the clay.   The bowl is fired brown with various colorations from the firing.  It is signed on the bottom, “Jody”.   It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

Darlene learned to make pottery from her aunts, Dextra and Priscilla.  Her pottery is more traditional in style and she continues to use Hopi clay for her pottery and paint with bee-weed for the black.  This is a charming set she has made with two small bowls made with the Hopi red clay.  They are affixed to two clay “rock” slabs.  She said she had made the miniatures and thought they were more interesting as a group, as if they were sitting out on the rocks at Hopi.  It has been traditionally fired to create the variations in color on the surface.  It is signed on the back.

Jody Folwell is known for her creative pottery shapes and designs.  This is a classic style for her pottery with a fully polished surface and the asymmetrical mouth.  The rim of the mouth extends down to the shoulder and it is fully polished. The designs are etched into the surface of the clay and various etching techniques are used to create the coloration.  The corn plant pattern is the main imagery and it is surrounded by cloud, rain and Pueblo designs.  The various colorations from black to dark red are all from the traditional outdoor firing.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Jody”.