During the Heard Indian Market
last month, I had the opportunity to visit with Harrison Begay
at some length. We sat and discussed his work as I admired the
beautiful creations on his table. I was particularly impressed
with a couple of special pieces he had with him. One of those
was a lovely sienna jar with stylized yei designs and other sacred
symbols surrounding the surface of the pot.
It was a glorious piece, but
something was missing. The top and bottom bands had been polished
to perfection, but they were practically yearning to be embellished.
I asked Harrison about these areas, and he concurred with me
that indeed the piece seemed unfinished and that he had wrestled
with those areas once the piece was finished.
As luck would have it, I had
just visited with Santa Clara phenom, Jody Naranjo, earlier that
day. Jody is a dear friend of mine and also Harrison's. Almost
simultaneously we blurted out Jody's name, and within minutes
I had contacted her and she agreed to lend her special touch
to this magnificent vessel.
Harrison took the pot with
him, and I wasn't sure if our idea would ever come to fruition.
Proceeding with our original plan, I put photos of the piece
online, as you may have already seen. Several inquiries came
in, but I wasn't sure of the status of the piece, so a sale was
impossible until we had the pottery back in our possession.
Nearly a month later, there
was a knock at my door. Harrison Begay stood on my porch with
a bundle tucked securely beneath his arm. I knew from the grin
on his face that he held the finished product - and incredible
collaboration by two of the finest clay artists of our time.
The results, as you can see
are simply breathtaking. Harrison's precision as a technician
and the bold use of his deep carved designs coupled with Jody's
trademark sgraffito etching yields a one-of-a-kind heirloom that
is unparalleled and has no equal.
We hope you will enjoy and
appreciate the results of this labor of love as much as we have.
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 rich "chocoloate"
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 why so many have been impressed with
this talented and humble artist.
Jody Naranjo is one of the
most talented and innovative of the new generation Santa Clara
potters. Using traditional methods of digging clay, coiling pots
and firing outdoors is typical of most Santa Clara potters, but
Jody has successfully blended traditional and contemporary art
forms by carving contemporary images onto traditionally made
pottery. Jody's work almost always features a variety of whimsical
figures including animals.
Jody grew up in a large family
of celebrated potters and knew early on she wanted to work with
clay. Growing up with over 20 family members who made pottery,
she knew the entire process by the time she was 6 years old.
This early knowledge and the
encouragement of other talented family members resulted in Jody
pushing herself to be as good as she could be. Her efforts were
rewarded in a fellowship she received at the age of 19 from the
Southwest Association of Indian Arts and in 1992 she won the
first place award for contemporary sgraffito at Indian Market.
Jody continues to produce
new designs and shapes with every passing season. Forever striving
on the forefront of Native American art, Jody Naranjo continues
to succeed at producing pottery which blends the traditional
and contemporary.
