SIBLINGS
It’s a family affair: brother and sister artists at market. Pat and Chris Pruitt; Kathleen, Adrian and Marcus Wall; Mateo and Diego Romero; DY Begay and Berdina Charley.
There is perhaps no stronger branch of the family tree than that upon which blooms the bond between siblings, and nowhere is this more evident than among the fertile orchards of Indian Country’s creative artistic legacy. To illustrate this, we queried two sisters from the Navajo Nation, both called to the loom to create vibrant tapestries from traditionally produced and hand-dyed wools. Following that, we visited with a duo of Chiricahua Apache/Laguna Pueblo jewelers and metalsmiths, brothers who continue to mark the genre with seemingly endless innovation in both material and technique. Next we gathered musings from a pair of internationally collected Cochiti artists, one brother bespoke to clay; the other to canvas. And finally we visited with a sister and two brothers — a ceramicist, a sculptor and a potter, respectively — for whom Jemez Pueblo is home and inspiration. Their candid responses offer a glimpse into the creative processes of some of Native America’s most talented minds and reveal something about the differences and similarities between the siblings. The members of this group hold awards too numerous to note here, so we’ve selected just one high-octave mention for each.
Adrian, Kathleen & Marcus Wall
Medium: Adrian — stone, glass and metal sculpture and jewelry; Kathleen — ceramics; Marcus — pottery Hallmark: Adrian — elegant, flowing lines and fluid shapes; Kathleen — large, expressive Koshare figurines; Marcus — hand-coiled, natural clay storyteller bears Kudos: Adrian — Rollin and Mary Ella King Fellowship, School of Advanced Research, 2009; Best in Classification, sculpture, Santa Fe Indian Market, 2011; Kathleen — Best of Show, Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival, 2016; Marcus — Best in Classification, sculpture, Santa Fe Indian Market, 2011 How do you prepare yourself to be creative? Adrian: Creativity really can’t be forced. When I’m not feeling creative, I do the grunt work — sanding, paperwork, studio maintenance. When creativity strikes, it usually strikes hard. Coffee helps. Kathleen: I’m not an artist who has the luxury of preparing myself. I sit at my worktable and just start. Marcus: I don’t think I prepare to be creative. You are or you’re not. What do you usually do to procrastinate? Adrian: Social media! And I love to drink coffee and play guitar in the mornings, but I like to think that’s part of my process. Kathleen: I’m a pretty consistent worker. I don’t procrastinate too much. What’s your favorite project thus far? Adrian: Wow! I can’t say I’ve had just one. I think just about every project brings a sense of satisfaction. Kathleen: I think my favorite project is still the one I did eight years ago, Celebrating Native Legacies at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center [in Albuquerque], which was my first solo exhibit. What have you learned from failure? Adrian: That it’s OK to fail. I’m always looking into new techniques and experimenting with ways of approaching materials. I’ve been working with glass for the last few years and have had countless failures. [But] I feel good about them, because of the way I’m approaching the material. I learn something from every piece I make, so I feel like I’m on the right path as an artist. Kathleen: Failure is inevitable in all aspects of life. What I’ve gained is a perspective that helps me persevere to the next project, or into the next chapter of whatever is going on in my life. Marcus: I’ve learned that failure is temporary, and if you keep at [your work] you will achieve your goals. What do you hope your creative legacy will be? Adrian: Just that I contributed positively to the Native art movement. Kathleen: I can hope and dream all I want to, but what will be will be, and I just hope it’s something good. Marcus: I’m hoping that my creative legacy will live up to and promote the family name that we’ve been able to achieve in the Native art world.
Chris & Pat Pruitt
Medium: Chris — jewelry; Pat — metalsmithing
Hallmark: Chris — cabochon-set, heavy-gauge, hand-forged and sand-cast sterling. Pat — sharp, edgy shapes in stainless steel and titanium and with raw industrial diamonds Kudos: Chris — Judges Award, Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, 2016; Pat — Innovation Award, Santa Fe Indian Market, 2011 How do you prepare yourself to be creative? Chris: I let my mind wander and play with my kiddos … my corgis. Pat: I’m not sure I ever prepare to be creative. It sort of just happens.
What time of day do you prefer to work? Chris: Afternoon and evening. Pat: Late night seems to be the best time for me. Not sure why the creative process kicks in at that time, but it does. What one element is absolutely necessary for your process? Chris: My hands. Pat: My hands. What’s your best trick for overcoming a block? Chris: Slabbing stone and cutting cabochons. Pat: I just trudge through it. No trick really. What do you hope your creative legacy will be? Chris: Bringing appreciation to the designs and tools that have allowed me to accomplish my work, and my eagerness to share and receive knowledge. Pat: I hope my work illustrates that Native art can be anything, that design is paramount and that one should strive to perfect their technique.
Diego & Mateo Romero
Medium: Diego — pottery, drawings and prints; Mateo — painting Hallmark: Diego — “Chongo Brothers”; politically infused narrative within checkerboard-bordered polychrome vessels and prints; Mateo — color-dripped canvases; enigmatic Pueblo scenes; cotton-ball clouds Kudos: Diego — Distinguished Fellow, traditional arts, United States Artists, 2015; Mateo — National Artist Fellowship, visual arts in painting, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, 2016 How do you prepare yourself to be creative?
Diego: My routine is pretty basic. I start my day with coffee and herbal supplements, and news—seeing what craziness our president has engaged in lately. After taking the kids to school and day care, I come back here [to the studio] and start thinking about what I’m going to work on for the day. I might draw or work on green ware for a while or work on figuring out the design for a pot. Mateo: When I [am preparing to] paint, I try to get to a place where everything flows and it all just happens. At that point, I feel like I’m watching someone else do the work. It’s a very emotional and intuitive space to work in. What time of day do you prefer to work? Diego: I always have my best run first thing in the morning, after my “routine,” from about nine ’til noon. After that, things start slowing down and I have to reboot for the second half of the day. Mateo: My favorite time to work is at night. I’ve struggled with sleep disorder my entire life, so when I was in college I started drawing and painting late into the evening. And there are fewer interruptions in the studio at night. If you could collaborate with any artist from any time or place in history, who would you choose and why? Diego: That’s a tough one. I think I’d choose Leonard da Vinci. His work inspires me; his designs were so far ahead of the technology of the day. Mateo: It would have to be [Jean-Michel] Basquiat. His use of text, the energy of his drawing, the raw directness of his paint all speaks to me. He had certitude in markmaking. He painted from a place where he didn’t care what other people thought. That made him perfect. What do you hope your creative legacy will be? Diego: I’d like to double the body of my [existing] work, get as much of it into museums as possible. To have my work stand beside the work of the great Native masters would be a welcome legacy. Mateo: If my work has a legacy, I hope it speaks to young Native kids [and inspires them] to believe in themselves and take chances with their art. We live in a time of
mind-numbing conformity in Indian Country. Our institutions and organizations have largely failed to support the vibrant growth of a real Native art/ aesthetic movement. It’s time for young Native artists to form their own avant-garde.
DY Begay & Berdina Charley
Medium: Hallmark:hues WeavingBoth — strong geometrics in bold, vibrant Kudos: DY — Best of Show, textiles, Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, 2016; Berdina — Best of Classification, textiles, Santa Fe Indian Market, 2016 How do you prepare yourself to be creative? DY: My day begins with some quiet time just for me. Then I roll out the yoga mat while the coffee is brewing. My informal yoga routine awakens my mind and body. Stretching and practicing “being in the moment” transforms me into my creative space. Berdina: My work studio is the place where my imagination begins. Being relaxed, calm and patient twirls my mind into thinking and creating. What place do you find most conducive to work? DY: My studio in Tselani, my home on the Navajo Reservation, is my creative, woman space. I have no Wi-Fi and a very unreliable AT&T service. This is fine with me because I’m able to concentrate on creating and weaving without interruptions, thinking about colors and designs and focusing on what is growing on the loom.
Berdina: I find that my little studio at home is the most conducive place to work. It’s a place where I can focus, think and prepare. I prefer to work with the dawn of sunrise and a cup of coffee. That’s my favorite way to begin the day. It settles the nerves and allows me to run with my design.
It’s said that genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. What is that ratio like for you?
DY: I try to maintain some balance. My inspiration comes from my surroundings: the colors painted by the sunrise and sunset, both in Santa Fe and on the reservation. Perspiration does evolve when a deadline for a commissioned tapestry is days away or a museum project is due. Many people don’t realize the intense effort and work involved from start to finish to create a Navajo tapestry. Berdina: That is hard to think on. As a Navajo weaver, I don’t have an answer to think “ratio” about my weaving; I don’t consider myself a genius. I continue to learn and grow each day with my weaving. I [stay] open to ideas. What do you hope your creative legacy will be? DY: I would like to be a role model to [other] weavers. Not in influencing the look of their final weavings but in encouraging them to pursue their own artistic vision and not to fear creative exploration. Berdina: I would like to see my daughters and nieces become the next generation of weavers. I hope [my work] inspires their imaginations with creativity.
Artists’ contact information
DY BerdinaChris Pat Begay: Pruitt: Pruitt: Charley: dybegay19@gmail.compat@patpruitt.com chris@chrispruitt.com dybegay19@gmail.com Diego Mateo Romero: Romero: romeroartprojects@gmail.com mateoromero007@hotmail.com Adrian Wall: adrian@adrianwall.com Kathleen Wall: kat.wall@hotmail.com Marcus Wall: marcus@marcuswall.com RoseMary Diaz (Santa Clara Pueblo) is the eldest of four siblings. Her maternal and paternal family trees have both fruited countless branches of offspring for as far back as can be traced, many of whom followed the artist’s path. But her daughter, the striking Atlanta, is a sole blossom. Her work has appeared in numerous publications and numerous magazines published by The Santa Fe New Mexican.