Tom Polacca (1935-2003) was
the son of Fannie Nampeyo, and grandson of famed Hopi potter,
Nampeyo. Tom's innovative style is reflected in his relief designs.
He, like his grandmother, developed a new approach to Hopi pottery.
He skillfully blended traditional elements with a contemporary
style.
He formed pottery in the traditional
coil method. The basic vessel was slipped in an apparent rag-wiped
light tan slip revealing various shades of the color. The design
was carved into the clay using a variety of techniques —
deep carving for the outlines, shallow carving for details, and
incising for highlights. He then used basic vegetal and mineral
paints in rust, brown and tan colors as his palette.
Once in a while a piece was
produced that was special to Tom. These pieces he called his
"museum quality" pieces, and they are distinguishable
from the others because on these, and only on these, he engraved
his signature into the bottom. You might even say these are Tom's
"Signature Series." This is one of those.
Every detail has been elaborately
etched into the pottery surface. He meticulously made sure that
nothing was overlooked, from the delicately ribbed feathers around
the rim, to the stone pueblo "bricks" around the bottom.
Thomas always did an excellent
job of placing symbols of significance throughout his pieces
in such an abstract manner, that it requires a great deal of
examination and reflection to fully appreciate the hidden nuances.
Cloud and storm designs, as well as eagle feathers find their
way in and throughout nearly all of Tom's themes.
With his art, as with everything
else, he was original. He was an innovator and refused to conform
to others' standards. He had his own vision for everything in
life, and he expressed it perfectly in his pottery. As one of the first to pioneer the
etched style of pottery, Thomas boldly signed using his father's
name: Polacca.
Although the art stems back
to his grandmother, Nampeyo, whose name he used in the beginning
- he was not afraid to be recognized on his own, and in doing
so, he carried on the legacy of his other namesake - that of
his visionary grandfather, Tom Polacca (c. 1865-1911). In this
way, he combined the best of what his heritage had to offer and
paved a way for many who would follow.
Tom is mentioned in several
prominent works on Hopi pottery, including Hopi-Tewa Pottery:
500 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf, The Art of the
Hopi by Jerry and Lois Jacka, Fourteen Families in Pueblo
Pottery by Rick Dillingham, and many others.
