In the exhibition Clay Line of the Red Willow People, hosted at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, three Taos Pueblo artists come together to show cultural connection in 35 astounding creations. Visitors will see the micaceous pottery of Angie Yazzie, photography by Deborah Lujan and paintings by Brian Taaffe.

“Through their artwork, these three artists represent the resilience and beauty of the Pueblo that exists today,” says IPCC head curator Paula Mirabal (Taos). “The commonality is clay, mud, the ground and the strength this holds for them as Red Willow People. The clay is the life line that runs through the images that each artist makes visible in their work and design.”

Angie Yazzie (Taos), (front) The Seduction, micaceous clay, 14½ x 9½”, (behind) Grandma Pot, micaceous clay, 6 x 9”

Unique to the exhibition, is an underlying familial connection all the artists have to each other, including with Mirabal. “I went to the open house at the IAIA looking for new artists and to see what students are doing these days, and I happened to come across Brian Taaffe’s work,” she explains. “I noticed the color and vibrancy to his work, and asked where he’s from and about his family, and realized he’s my second cousin!” She continues, “The idea came to me to showcase these three mediums because they represent where we come from. The four of us are connected as Pueblo people.”

Beginning with Yazzie’s micaceous pottery—mica clay used in traditional pots—the design elements are expanded upon, while also holding to Yazzie’s ancestral ties to the nature of the process. “What was once ‘utilitarian ware’ has been given a new breath of elegance by making the walls extremely thin, very lightweight and coiled to new heights,” she notes.

Brian Taaffe (Taos), Horno Smoke, oil on canvas, 38 x 50”

In The Seduction, a shapely vase, Yazzie explains, “The red piece is canted slightly off center so the ‘hips’ of the piece appear to sway. It is titled, The Seduction to honor the feminine power that it exudes. In the same way that a wink, a smile or a slight lilt of a hip can change the nature of a personal interaction, I pushed something as solid as pottery to portray an emotion that is universally understood.”

Taaffe will present paintings like Horno Smoke—a vibrant scene including an adobe pueblo with a horno (or oven) emitting smoke. “This painting comes back to the theme of family and growing up,” says Taaffe. “Some of my best memories come from the smell of the baking bread that is made in these hornos before feast days. Before you can bake the bread, you have to heat up the horno by burning wood and creating coals that warm the oven. In the mornings you could smell the smoke as it filled the air, creating a feeling of eagerness…I wanted to bring the viewer into my point of view and show the sacredness of the smoke and the memories that it evokes.”

Deborah Lujan (Taos), Summer at Taos Pueblo, color photography on metal, 20 x 30”

Lujan contributes her photography to the exhibition, in thrilling works like Summer at Taos Pueblo. The image shows a Taos Pueblo structure backed by an energetic, clouded sky that nearly takes center stage. “She is recognized for capturing nature’s effect of the ancient architecture and her ability to convey a sense of intimacy with each of her images,” says Mirabal.

Deborah Lujan (Taos), New Year, New Snow, color photography on metal, 24 x 36”

Lujan shares, “This was taken in June 2020 and the first of my photographs to be taken during the Covid pandemic. The iconic multistoried buildings are often photographed, but with the lack of crowds around, I was able to show the incoming thunder clouds that permeate the summer monsoon season. This was shot naturally without the use of photoshop or editing.”

Overall, the exhibition strives to create insight into Taos Pueblo history and the connections that remain true. The exhibition is currently on view and will be displayed through May 22.

Through May 22, 2023
Clay Line of the Red Willow People: A Showcase of Three Taos Pueblo Artists
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
(505) 451-2840, www.indianpueblo.org

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