Sculpture
Both traditional and contemporary Native sculpture comes in many forms, and the materials used to craft them— including bronze, alabaster, clay, wood, marble and stainless steel—seem as endless as the subject matter itself. Adventuring through Indian Market, attendees can explore animals cast in precious metals, depictions of spiritual beings, abstract figures laced with cultural symbolism and a myriad of other creations rooted in the heritage of each artist. “Most think of sculpture as being formed from either stone or bronze in the traditional style, but one must widen their horizons in Santa Fe,” says Mark Sublette, owner of Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Arizona. “You can find abstraction as well as traditional sculpture...zuni fetishes, a favorite for many visitors, come in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials.”
“The key for collectors is to look for the amount of crisp detail involved and the images that are evoked by the art,” says Katie Richarme, owner of Dancing Rabbit Gallery. “Collectors should also consider whether the piece of art is an original, or is a copy in a limited or unlimited series. Bronzes tend to be copies in limited numbers, because of the cost and time involved in preparing the initial mold. Innovations include moving across media, sometimes incorporating multiple media in one piece of art. There are many common motifs, including animal life and spirits, dancers and religious images, and daily life as interpreted by the artists.”
“I do a lot of standing back and looking to understand the light and shadow while I work. I know Working in bronze is my calling. the metal. I know what has to be done. That gives me the foresight while I’m working on the piece. I know what the metal is going to do. Every once in a while, I’ll be surprised with the outcome. The metal has its own spirit. I like that.”
“I have been working with a few different materials lately, I find my including metal, stone and glass. greatest challenge is to have those materials work seamlessly together. It is important to me that the materials convey the themes of my sculpture in an aesthetically pleasing way. The themes of my work reflect most often my Pueblo heritage, but my work is inspired by life, art and artists that fill my world.”
“I always strive to work in harmony with the spirit of the earth. The stone decides itself what it Whether will be as the piece develops. stone or bronze, my pieces exhibit both fine detail and suggestive shapes mirroring equally nature as well as thought. Each piece, no matter its size or subject, allows travel the curved one’s sight to line of concave and convex space, of subject and non-subject.”
“It was a joy sculpting Sedna. Far North stories of this sea mother turn my mind toward the interrelationship between animal, human, water, air, land and spirit people... i am inspired to offer thanks to creative Spirit of Ellam Yua, the the Universe, for the plant- and animal-people harvested for my sustenance... This piece... is an invitation to recognize the personhood of all beings, celebrate the natural world and our relationship to it, and to see clearly our strength and inborn abilities to change and improve our lives.”
“I come from a place rich in history, religion, tradition and culture. For thousands of years, our people have practiced our way of life. To live in harmony with Mother Earth. The ancient husband and wife ogres are supernatural beings. These deities keep humanity on the straight and narrow path of goodness and The Light. They are called to discipline naughty children, to correct their behavior so they would grow up to be good people in the community. Our way of life is my plat form that inspires my art.”
“As a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, my culture inspires me to create pieces charged with power, strength and beauty, and in turn, I believe my work celebrates Indigenous culture with a bold, powerful aesthetic. The imagery and visual narratives in my work come from fusion of elements a that are important to me personally, familially and culturally. My newest body of work—the Old Growth Series—intertwines recognizable ironworkers’ tools influential plants with and objects found in nature. My choice of using and modifying found chain and hardware gives these individual pieces the sense that they contain an old and established history full of adaptation, resilience and endurance.”
“When I’m in my studio making my clay turtles and bears, I am in my personal heaven. They keep me inspired and motived with their smiles. I feel they’re always helping me love my work. I also love the process of creating, and I believe if you’re devoted and genuine in your own individual process, great things are born.”