The evolution of Native American pottery, including traditional through contemporary forms and designs, will be on full display during the Dancing Rabbit Gallery’s upcoming online exhibition Born of Fire – Native American Pottery. Highlighted in the show, which will be on view October 15 through January 13, are works by artists who are preserving culture in their artwork, but also pushing boundaries with new shapes, patterns and techniques.
Julie Gutierrez (Santa Clara), clay and turquoise, 5¾ x 5½"
San Ildefonso potter Erik Fender will be represented by a unique black-on-black jar with a sterling silver lid. The lid is carefully tufa cast with “accents of raindrops and geometric designs,” while the jar itself has four turquoise cabochons with straight bezels that correspond to the stones on the pot’s rim.
Elizabeth and Marcellus Medina (Zia), clay, slip and vegetal paint, 14 x 14"
Known for her pottery figures, Maxine Toya (Jemez) will showcase a small-scale owl in this exhibition. When Toya first began pottery, an owl was her very first piece and has since become a favorite subject among her collectors. The work is simplistic in shape but has intricate designs that “include symbols of rain, clouds and feathers.”
Specializing in both traditional and contemporary Santa Clara pottery, Julie Gutierrez combines both styles in a new work for this show. The pot has 12 flower rosettes etched on its surface with turquoise stones in the middle of each—a signature element of the artist’s pottery. The gallery adds that underneath the sgraffito the pot is highly polished, and its angled rim has an etched leaf design.
Erik Fender (San Ildefonso), clay, slip, sterling silver and turquoise, 8½ x 6½" (11" with lid)
Jemez potter Glendora Fragua reaches beyond traditional pottery by incorporating metallic acrylic paints into her pieces. Included in the show will be a “stunning black-colored vase with wonderful accents illuminating the designs of dragonflies, flowers and corn maidens. Copper metallic paint creates a wonderful dimension for the dragonflies, and acts as accents for the flowers and dots.”
Maxine Toya (Jemez), clay and slip, 5½ x 3 x 3"
Elizabeth and Marcellus Medina of Zia Pueblo are known for pottery with traditional designs, but their piece in this show gives a spin on a classic image. Gallery owner Katie Richarme says, “The 72 birds on this wonderful olla depict the variety of birds painted on Zia jars. Elizabeth made this fabulous piece by hand coiling the pot and firing it outdoors. Marcellus meticulously painted several varieties of birds all around the piece. You will find robins, swallows, parrots, even pregnant birds with tiny eggs in their bellies, along with many other varieties.”
Glendora Fragua (Jemez), clay, slip and metallic acrylic paints, 6 x 4"
“Artists are taking their traditional pottery-making artistry to soaring heights, as they communicate the stories of their culture, as well as pressing the boundaries of art,” Richarme adds. “This exhibition focuses on the innovative designs found in lids, slips and glazes, fanciful figures and adornments of Southwest Native American pottery.”
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery
October 15-January 31, 2022
(505) 850-2212
www.thedancingrabbitgallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
