ACOMA, LAGUNA AND ZUNI

Click on the photograph for an enlarged view.

     Dolores Aragon was born in 1969, the granddaughter of Dolores Sanchez, and daughter of Marie S Juanico. She was named after her grandmother, who lived to be 103, and was a well known potter. At the early age of five, Dolores started making clay animal figures. Later on she learned the traditional Acoma pottery techniques from her mother-in-law Wanda Aragon. Dolores is a “miniature” specialist. Using ONLY traditional materials and techniques, she creates some of the most authentic, coiled and designed pots. She was quoted as saying, “The old techniques of my ancestors have motivated me even more so to become a part of this tradition. By doing so, I too try different techniques. My grandmother and those before her were strong in keeping the spirit and tradition alive.”
     I have admired Dolores’ work for many years but never had the opportunity to work directly with her until now. When we met this summer, she explained to me that on each and every pot she makes, she recreates old classic Acoma patterns on her pieces. When you turn her pots over, there is a date on the bottom that shows when the designs originated.
     This is a wonderfully traditional painted piece. It is remarkably lightweight, and feels so smooth to the touch. I am very pleased to be working with Dolores and hope you enjoy her special work.

#AJLZ9416 - 4" high by 4" wide
Price: $800

     Carolyn Concho is a talented Acoma artist from an established pottery making family. At the age of 29, Carolyn was taught the tradition of making pottery from her older sisters, Rebecca Lucario, and Marilyn Henderson Ray, who in turn, were taught by their grandmother, Dolores S. Sanchez. Carolyn has become quite skillful, displaying her talents on seed pots and plates. Her paintings have beautiful geometric and Mimbres designs, "I enjoy painting Mimbres designs of all work, and working with many colors." All the clays and colors displayed on her work are natural. She was featured in the book Beyond Tradition, in recognition of her fine work.
     This family comprises one of the most renowned extended potting families in Acoma. Carolyn has entered the Santa Fe Indian Market many times and has numerous First, Second and Third Place ribbons to show for her efforts.
      Usually showcasing Carolyn’s miniatures, here we have a larger flat seed pot. It is three dimensional, as the wing of the butterfly, the head of the lizard, the body of the lizard, and the wing of the hummingbird are all sculpted and raised above the surface of the pot. Using natural pigments, her colors are oft and subtle. The fine line work is exquisite.

#AJLZ9917 - 2 ¾” high by 6” wide
Price: $750

      Paula is just getting better and better. Her painting is so precise and dazzling. Paula Estevan was born in 1967 and has been making pottery since 1986. Paula has over 20 years experience and her work exhibits a very high degree of accomplishment. She is the daughter of Patsy Mike and the sister of Marcia Estevan. She is a self-taught potter. Paula’s work is included in “Southern Pueblo Pottery: 2000 Artist Biographies” by Gregory Schaaf and “Pueblo and Navajo Contemporary Pottery” by Berger & Schiffer.
     This black and white dazzler is so boldly painted. These kinds of patterns exhibit such a high degree of skill. Thin walled and hand coiled, it is terrific example of Acoma pottery made in the traditional methods.

#AJLZ1294 - 4 1/2" high by 5 1/4" wide
Price: $585 SOLD

     This is an exquisite hand coiled and painted bottle by Paula. The fine line work on the neck of the jar is amazing showing so much intricacy. Paula paints with such precision. It is remarkable that a self taught potter can achieve this level of excellence.

#AJLZ71019 - 7 ½” high by 5” wide
Price: $480

      "Acoma potter Adrianne Keene's work challenges the boundaries between traditional and contemporary in the world of art. As a full time teacher with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Tuba City, Arizona, she also uses her work to bridge boundaries between peoples, teaching children the importance of being the best a person can be through art." This is what was just written about Adrianne in a lead article in the Indian Market Albuquerque Journal , August 19, 1999. She states in that article, " The pots are alive once I produce them." She grew up watching her mother make pots, but never made one herself until after her firstborn son had passed away. He passed away on Mother's Day, in 1976 - and when she "came out of her depression" - she found herself making pots. Her mother, Juanita Keene, helped her through that time, and encouraged her pottery making. Adrianne shows an incredible talent - she is one of the best miniaturists working today, She uses the traditional colors of black, white and red - and paints with painstaking detail. She has developed a style that is unique among Acoma potters- her seed jars feature a corrugated blossom around the top - made with a triangular shaped stick - pressed from the inside to the out. This corrugation must be completed in a single day to pevent cracking. We hope you enjoy her unique work.
     It has been more than a year that Adrianne produced these fabulous miniature pots for us. She is like no other potter, in this special technique she uses to precisely carve the top of the pot in a corrugated form. Whether it has a white top, or red top, Adrianne's work is always marvelous.

#AJLZ699 - 2 1/3’ high by 3” wide
Price: $800

      Adrianne is such a consummate artist. She is one of those people that continue to work at such a high level of precision and consistency. She was thrilled about working on this turtle in this size range. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to do the corrugation, but obviously she figured it out! The red topped seed bowl is striking with its contrast to the bottom black and white fine line work.

#AJLZ11018 -
A) Mini corrugated turtle
½” high by 2 ¾” wide
Price: $400 SOLD
B) Red topped bowl
1 1/8” high by 1 ½” wide
Price: $400

      When Adrianne creates her black and white canyon pattern, and sets it against the red corrugated top, it is very crisp and bold. The work is terrific, and this is a lovely seed pot.

#AJLZ1197 - 2” high by 3 ½” wide
Price: $850

      Pure geometrics! This is all fine line work; the new black and white rain pattern with the corrugated white top looks fabulous. It is such a beauty!

#AJLZ697 - 2 7/8" by 1 9/16"
Price: $700

      At our request, Adrianne has recreated her special form called a "sun dome". It is double sided, with red corrugation on one side, and white corrugation on the other. The fine line arch that curves around the whole piece is exquisitely painted. The six panels represent deer, rain imagery, turkey, Acoma bird, and Dancers. It is a lovely and uniquely designed art form.

#AJLZ1292 - 2 1/2" high by 4" wide
Price: $900

     Diane Lewis is a member of one of the two non-related Lewis families at Acoma Pueblo. While the Lucy Lewis family is very well known, the children of Katherine Lewis (Marilyn Henderson Ray, Rebecca Lucario, Bernard and Sharon Lewis, Carolyn Concho, Judy Lewis and Diane Lewis) produce some of the finest pottery done at Acoma today. Each sibling has carved out their own niche and Diane's is creating seed pots with abundant use of natural colors. Her designs are dense and colorful, resulting in very striking works of art. Wonderful for the miniature collectors, as well as those that want very special Hand coiled and natural painted Acoma ware.

#AJLZ51018 -
A) Black fine line painted Mimbres deer seed bowl
1” high by 2 ½” wide
Price: $120 SOLD
B) Multi slipped two lizards seed bowl
½” high by 1 ¾” wide
Price: $95

     Sharon Lewis was born in 1959, and is a member of the Red Corn Clan from the Acoma Pueblo. Sharon was inspired ton continue her family tradition of hand coiling pottery by Marilyn Ray and other members of her family. She has been making traditional hand coiled pottery since 1978. She specializes in miniatures. She gathers her clay and other pigments from within the Acoma Pueblo. Her clay is cleaned, mixed, shaped, sanded, and painted in the traditional manner. She adds pottery shards to stabilize her clay. Sometimes she collaborates with her husband, and they often make pieces with lizards crawling on the pots.
      Most recently, Sharon has been devoting her time to perfecting the fine line painting. “The painting is what I love most because you can become really creative. Sometimes I dream of designs” She is doing incredible work.
      We really feel that Sharon is doing some of the very best fine line work today. She is constantly changing her designs, inventing new symbols, and pushing herself with both form and patterns. This vase is simply stunning. We like everything about it!

#AJLZ1810 - 6 1/2 " high by 5" wide
Price: $1400

      Here is a marvelous example of Sharon’s fine line work using the multi colored natural slips as background. Eye dazzler, for sure! She is meticulous and precise – and the colors work so beautifully.

#AJLZ5727 - 1 3/4" high by 3" wide
Price: $400

     Charmae comes from a distinguished family of Acoma potters, and learned the art from her mother, Ethel Shields, who also makes storyteller figures. Charmae is known for her seed pots, immaculately designed in black and white, and also for her more unique formed pots that take the shape of pyramids, or boxes. Her painting is so precise, and crisp, that it sets her apart from other painters. She is married to Thomas Natseway, the award winning miniature artist.
    This is a very cool, lidded trapezoid by Charmae. This is the first fish designed piece we have had from her. It is bold and striking in its presence. This piece shows her skills in painting both polychrome combinations, as well and black and white fine line work. She boils all her colors from natural plants and vegetation and then paints her designs. Here she six fish, with the center one being the body for the black and white stopper. It is always such a pleasure seeing Charmae’s work, as the painting is so precise and clean.

#AJLZ9919 - 4” high by 4” wide
Price: $585

     You never know what Charmae is going to “invent” in terms of new contemporary shapes for her beautifully coiled and painted Acoma pots. I am always attracted to her depictions of Acoma birds, and this new lidded piece has two birds, as well as her black and white checkerboard patterns on a very cool shaped piece. It is actually EIGHT sided, and the painting is bold and precise, as usual.

#AJLZ7108 - 5 ½” high by 4 ¼” wide
Price: $650 SOLD

     Charmae’s expert painting skills are also revealed in her beautiful seed pots. Her colors are deep and rich, and here is an example of her unique design work. This is a stunning piece that depicts a stylized parrot. The colors of the wings are varying tones of green, brown, taupe, and orange. Set within the fine line work and the bold black and white wave pattern, it is lovely.

#AJLZ6910 - 3" high by 3 3/4" wide
Price: $410

     Sandra Victorino is the niece of Dorothy Torivio. She creates a similar style pot, with various black, white, and red eye dazzler fine line designs. Sandra is an accomplished and award winning artist in her own right. Each piece is coil built and then painted with bee-weed, a plant that is used to create the black (or brownish) coloration against the white clay. She uses extremely intricate designs on different experimental shapes. The patterns always match the shape of her interesting vessels.
      I have always liked this shape that Sandra makes with a nice neck. You can see at least six varying black and white patterns. Notice how nicely the designs get smaller as they rise up on that neck. It is very nice work.

#AJLZ9920 - 7 ½” high by 8” wide
Price: $825

     Anderson Peynetsa is one of the young talented potters from Zuni who still work in the traditional style. Anderson is the brother of Priscilla, and the son of Wilma Jean Peynetsa. He has been potting for more than twenty years. He was a student of the well known potter Jennie Laate who taught pottery at Zuni High School. She saw great promise in his work.
     Anderson is mostly known for his large jars that show traditional Zuni designs. He often paints the "deer in the house" but loves to make whimsical lizard jars, as well. Anderson's wife, Avelia often does the actual polishing of the pot. The walls of the pots are usually very thin.
     This very large olla is the largest Zuni piece we have acquired at the gallery. It is so well coiled as well as decorated. The striking black deer in the house images as well as the Zuni flower blossoms are powerfully viewed against the white slipped background. The wide and high shoulder gives it such a stately presence. It is a simply marvelous example of classic, Zuni pottery.

#AJLZ7724 - 11 1/2" high by 12" wide
Price: $1500

     Dorothy Torivio has been a recognized potter since 1975. She is one of the most innovative abstract designers in all of Native American pottery. She is able to integrate her shapes to accentuate the eye dazzling designs. These designs have awarded her recognition all over the world. Her paintings actually create vibrations and optical illusions. Dorothy was born in 1946, and has always worked within her Native American tradition.
     "Back in 1982 and 1983 I was mostly doing Mimbres designs, the animals on seed pots. One day I had the idea to take a specific design and repeat it over and over again on the shape of the pot." People have asked Dorothy whether she was immune to the vibrations of her own pots while hand painting them -- she candidly replies, "Oh no! They drive me CRAZY!" She uses chewed yucca stalk that she makes into a brush for painting. "We take from the yucca just what we need. We don't kill the whole plant, we just take off a few stems, and they are free from Mother Earth." Dorothy has won so many awards -- it would be impossible to list them. She is one of a kind - Her art work is unique, individualistic, and overwhelmingly beautiful.
     This new vase is wonderful. With precision and accuracy, Dorothy perfectly covers the pot with her classic "Diamond Star Pattern." The center of this polychrome design is a four-pointed star with a cross. As the vase “stretches” from bottom to top, it looks as though it expands and contracts in perfect geometry. She is one of a kind!

#AJLZ7618 - 5" high by 6 1/2" wide
Price: $1600 SOLD

     Calvin Analla is the brother of Yvonne Lucas, who is married to Hopi potter, Steve Lucas. He comes from the Paguate Village of the Laguna Pueblo. Like his sister and brother in law, Calvin's work is traditionally hand built with natural materials, then hand painted, and then fired outdoors in a sheep dung firing pit.
      Recently, Calvin has been experimenting with his clay bodies. He is mixing Hopi clay with his Laguna clay, and the effect is amazing. It looks marbled, and mottled – almost having a wooden effect. Calvin does a marvelous job of coiling old style, traditional forms and shapes. This beautiful vase is so lightweight- feather like. The painting is as precise as it can be, and is placed perfectly on the bottom quadrant of the pot. The top of the vase is so simple with the variegations of the clay. We are so pleased with Calvin’s new works; he is truly a magnificent painter.

#AJLZ11014 - 6 ¼” high by 5 ½” wide
Price: $650 SOLD

     What magnificent painting on this bowl by Calvin Analla. Checkerboards and diamonds – they are so pristine and clean. His lines are amazing, and the tones are wonderful on the mottled clay background.

#AJLZ7109 - 4” high by 5 ¼” wide
Price: $550

     This is a wonderful jar by Calvin. The painting is careful and precise. The squash blossoms and flowers are old style Laguna images beautifully depicted on the dappled clay. It is a great shape. As the neck gently flairs up toward the opening, so do the designs.

#AJLZ11015 -4 1/4" high by 5" wide
Price: $550

     Robert Kasero is a traditional potter in his 40’s. He makes thin walled pots, and his painting is very precise. At the beginning of his career, he was a Katsina carver, but later turned to pottery as his art form.
     This is a beautiful new bowl with fine line black and white graphics. Robert is a young potter for us to watch, and see his progression with form and designs.

#AJLZ71020 - 4 ¼” high by 5” wide
Price: $300 SOLD

     So many people have been admiring Yvonne's work since she has been recreating the traditional Laguna ware. Her painting in the design area is precise and neat - and the shaping is marvelous.The contrast between some of the open white areas on the top, and darker painted areas on the bottom is stunning. We can understand why Yvonne has received so much recognition in the past two years. Her work is marvelous.
     I love the tight, precise, painting on this pot. Like her husband, Steve Lucas, Yvonne has a wonderful way with red slips. Her colors here are deep, and bold. Notice how well the band on the top, around the lip balances with the same band on the bottom. The pattern here is quite complex. There is the floral band at the top – and the center of the body is comprised of stark and stunning patterns – divided by checkerboard diamond shapes and circular medallions with clover like forms. It is a magnificently painted jar. The shape and size are terrific. This is a great example of Yvonne’s outstanding work.

#AJLZ7721 - 8" high by 9 1/2" wide
Price: $2950

      This is quite simply one of the most beautifully painted pieces I have seen from Yvonne. It is so bold, and crisp that it “pops” out at you from the shelf. Elegantly painting the floral and checkerboard patterns with precision, the composition is well placed on the shape of the bowl and complex. The balance of the red top and red bottom, make for an aesthetically superior piece of pottery.

#AJLZ12716 - 7 1/2 " high by 8 3/4 " wide
Price: $2250 SOLD

     Historic Laguna pottery did not become recognizably different from Acoma pottery until about 1830. During the next century, the Lagunas perfected a variation of white-slipped polychrome with bold and simple designs. Pottery almost died at Laguna in the mid-twentieth century, but Evelyn Cheromiah started making these designs a few years ago, and she was joined in 1980 by Gladys Paquin. She began to "copy" the old Laguna patterns. "First I used the word "copy", now I think of carrying on the traditions, their inspiration." She likes to fire outside, as she says, "The kiln sort of kills it and dries it out. It looks dead. When it is done outside it looks alive. That's why I stay away from the kiln." Her pots are beautiful, well made and painted, and very reasonable.
      This is an old classic Laguna pattern that Gladys has brought back to life. She is an expert painter. Notice the two tones of red on the bottom – achieving a true polychrome effect.

#AJLZ3716 - 8 1/4" high by 8" wide
Price: $1100