Harrison Begay
Jr. (Navajo)
Santa Clara Pottery
Auburn Bears
4 3/4"
H x 4 1/2" D
We love the nice chocolate
finish that Harrison achieves by removing the pottery between
the classic red and black stages of the firing. This piece features
his trademark bear desgins with other abstract images.
Harrison Begay was raised
near Keams Canyon, Arizona, in the small Navajo community of
Jeddito. In college, he trained as a painter in a fine arts curriculum.
He turned to pottery and began to enter his pieces in numerous
awards, winning major awards from the '80s until the present.
While married at Santa Clara, he learned the New Mexico pueblo
style of pottery from his mother-in-law.
He is regarded as one of today's
major artists. His work is featured in important galleries, museums,
and private collections around the world. He has certainly taken
the traditional Santa Clara style and improvised upon it in a
unique and innovative fashion. His work is unmistakable!
Especially impressive are
the technical aspects of the pottery, which Harrison has mastered
over the years - and of course the deep black finish that can
only be achieved through the careful process of oxygen reduction
techniques.
Harrison's lines are clean
and his cuts are deep. He is certainly one of the most accomplished
potters in this style. His high polish finish contrasts strikingly
against the deliberate matte finish of the rest of the pot.
Add a piece by Harrison Begay
to your collection and see what so many have been impressed with
this talented and humble artist.
