In 1972, a camera crew followed Maria Martinez and Popovi Da around their New Mexico home at the San Ildefonso Pueblo as they demonstrated the methods used to harvest clay, hand-coil a vessel, polish and paint a pot, and then fire the finished pottery. The film is quaint by today’s standards: the narration is simple and flatly delivered from a producer’s voice, the editing is reserved and prioritizes sustained shots of hands at work, and the outdoor footage is a bit washed-out due to the film quality of the period. And yet, the short 25-minute film is captivating. It’s absolutely incredible that the footage exists, that it shows their process so clearly and is today so readily available on YouTube.
Footage like that doesn’t come around often. I was reminded of that when pottery collector Russ Hoover sent me video from the Santa Clara Pueblo as Chris Youngblood fired one of his newest pots. It’s not often you get to see a master at work. Our coverage of Youngblood’s work, which starts on Page 42, includes a description of his process and inspiration, lots of images from all stages of the pot’s creation and also a link to see the footage Hoover shot from the firing. It’s a magical feature, one we’re thrilled to include as the centerpiece of our annual pottery issue.
What’s exciting about Youngblood’s work that is so beautifully captured here in words, images and video, is that it is not an isolated experience. This art process is occurring all the time with thousands of different artists. Potters, weavers, carvers, painters, beaders and many other artists are presently at work in their studios, fighting the elements and their own creative limitations to make art that speaks to the world. As often as possible, we will step into these artists’ studios to document their creative abilities, capture their methods and illuminate their artistic philosophies.
Whether it’s Maria Martinez from 1972 or Chris Youngblood from last month, these stories are important to us and will always be worthy of coverage in Native American Art magazine. If you have any artists you want to suggest we feature, don’t hesitate to email me suggestions.
Michael Clawson
Executive Editor
mclawson@nativeamericanartmagazine.com
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