Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

 Mata Ortiz pottery with sgraffito

 

Mata Ortiz rebirth :

 

The revitalization of Mata ortiz into a pottery centre is good story. In the 60‘s and 70‘s, with only tribal stories to go on and rediscovered pottery artifacts from the Casa Grandes location, Juan Quezada resurrected the style and ancient techniques of his ancestors pottery. In the process he rescued a village on the cusp of obscurity and put it on a creative trajectory that has now become a thriving pottery district known for the production of original, contemporary folk pottery. There was just enough evidence from the ancient pottery shards to intuit the spirit of the long lost art and rekindle the unique native aesthetics again. Due to the limited information the local artesanos weren’t too encumbered with historical,definitive styles and have successfully developed a post modern adaption of the traditional pottery.

The remote village of Mata Ortiz is on the high plains of Chihuahua in northern Mexico, about 150 miles from the Arizona, New Mexico or Texas borders. The Paquime (or Zuma) native American Indians, a prehistoric culture from the nearby Casa Grandes area, had once been an active pottery production centre for trade in the 13th and 14th centuries.

 

 

Juan Quezada holding an ancient pot

Photo by Raechel Running

 

 

Mata Ortiz map

 

In 1976 American anthropologist Spencer MacCallum saw some of Juan Quezada’s pots in New Mexico and decided to track down Juan to source more information about their origin. He ended up teaming up with Juan to promote his art as he recognized a natural talent. This proved to be a fortuitous venture for Mata Ortiz.
Without using a kiln or a pottery wheel, the self taught Juan Quezada began recreating the ancient pots using experimentation with clays from the region and a local tortilla and coil method of assembly which combined with pinch and scrape methodologies for pot construction. After much refinement and innovation, Juan taught his family members and friends how to execute the techniques and Mata Ortiz pottery has flourished since. There are now thousands of potters in the locality creating their traditionally inspired pottery. Mata Ortiz Pottery has become synonymous with a high quality ware of integrity and beauty.

 

 

Mata Ortiz Pottery – Lazaro Ozuna Silveira – Sgraffito Olla

 

Using an essentially organic approach, the Mata Ortiz artists polish their pieces with stones, seeds and bones. Just as they did traditionally, they use coveted clays from the local mountains and pigments mainly of mineral origin, especially the rich oxides, which are collected and ground in their location. They hand paint their pottery using hand made brushes made from  human hair. The decoration of the Mata Ortiz pottery forms have evolved to express fluid dynamic interpretations of their traditional patterns and symbols with beautifully refined detail. Combined with their fascinating abstractions and use of space, they have recaptured the spirit of their location and past. The Mata Ortiz artists now see their works more as a fine art then a craft and use sgraffito, cut-outs, vivid colours, refined figurines and surface carving to achieve bold contemporary expression.

 

Lorenzo Bugarini cradles an extra large pot.

photo – Alison DaRosa

LA Times

 

 

Mata Ortiz Olla

 

 

 

Angel Amaya -Mata Ortiz Seed Pot

 

 

 

Sculpted Olla with wall cut out – Baudel Lopez

 

Martin Olivas Quintana incised Dragonfly pot

 

 

Yin Yang vessel – Diego Valles

Mata Ortiz, Mexico

 

 

 

Jose Quezada wedding vase

Jose Quezada is the eldest son of master potter Nicolas Quezada, pioneer artist of Mata Ortiz, and a nephew of Juan Quezada.

height 11.25 inches

sold at http://www.finepueblopottery.com/

 

 

 

Cindy Perez incised butterfly olla

 

 

 

Diana Loya Mata Ortiz Pottery with fine decorative detail

 

 

 

Diego Valles

 

 

 

‘Green Maze’ – Leonel Lopez Jr

 

 

 

Etched olla by Efren Ledezma

15 inch diameter

Mata Ortiz Gallery

 

 

Elí Navarrete

 

 

 

Nicolas Quezada large olla

Mata Ortiz Gallery

 

 

Goyin Silveira animal olla

 

‘Hummingbirds’ – Martin Olivas Quintana

 

 

‘Hummingbirds’ – Hector Gallegos

 

 

 

Sgraffito olla – Jesus Olivas Quintana

 

 

 

 

‘Parrot Olla’ – Pabla Quezada

 

 

Hector Gallegos ceramic urn featuring a  Quetzalcoatl serpent and Native American feather symbol

Mata Ortiz Gallery

 

 

 

Lydia Quezada

 

 

Elvira Bugarini

 

 

Olivia Dominguez Snake Olla

 

 

 

Manolo Rodríguez

 

 

Tomas Quintana

mataortiz.com

 

 

 

Roberto Olivas sgraffito pot

 

 

 

Nicolas Quezada terracotta olla

 

 

 

Mata Ortiz Pottery, tall- necked small pot by Blanca Quezada

 

 

 

Baudel Lopez polished red pot

 

 

 

Humberto Ponce – Mata Ortiz Wedding Vase

Mata Ortiz Gallery

 

 

 

 Martin Cota

chimayotrading.com

 

 

 

 

Eli Navarrete

Graphite burnished pot featuring Eli’s trademark fish,birds and geckos

www.sandiafolk.com

 

 

 

Nancy Heras de Martinez

 

Roberto Olivas Sgraffito Olla

 

 

 

Miguel Quezada

 

 

 Leonel Lopez Saenz

mata-ortiz.com

 

 

 

Tall olla in non-traditional colours by Cesar Navarrete Ortiz.

 

 

Olivia Dominguez – tobacco snake olla

 

 

 

Jose Quezada Olla

Juan Quezada black clay olla

 

 

Goyin Silveira– ‘Tarantula Olla’

Mata Ortiz

This pot features dozens of hidden animals and insects that create the complex design…snakes, tarantulas, turtles, birds and macaws, owls, lizards, fish.