POW!
Tammy Garcia, American, Santa Clara Pueblo (Kha P'o), born 1969
Santa Clara Pueblo (Kha P'o)
Southwest
2016
Micaceous clay and pigments
Overall: 8 7/8 × 6 7/8 × 3 in. (22.5 × 17.5 × 7.6 cm)
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth: Purchased through the Julia L. Whittier Fund
2019.39.3
Geography
Place Made: Santa Clara Pueblo, United States, North America
Period
21st century
Object Name
Pottery
Research Area
Native American
Native American: Southwest
Not on view
Inscriptions
Inscribed, on bottom surface of object: Tammy Garcia / Santa Clara Pueblo / 2016
Label
In each of these works, the artists use iconic Pop and comic book imagery to intrigue their viewers. Jason Garcia creates comic book–like scenes of traditional Pueblo life; his innovative technique of storytelling on ceramic tiles diverges from the more common vessel shapes of Pueblo pottery. In Tewa Tales of Suspense! Priest Killer, a Pueblo warrior holds the head of a monk, referencing the Pueblo Revolt against Spanish colonizers in 1680—while Diego Romero’s print shows Spanish conquistadors inflicting violence upon the Pueblo people. Despite its modern decoration, Tammy Garcia’s canteen with redware elements reflects traditional pottery techniques: it is coil built, carved, and polished with traditional clay slips. I am building in clay vessels that resemble glass bottles. This is the "Pop Bottle." In pop culture, attitudes can be seen in an image through facial expression, as in a Roy Lichtenstein painting. I am fascinated how one word, like, "POW," along with an image, can tell a story. Words have become an important part of my design and the exploration of that has just begun! —Tammy Garcia From the 2022 exhibition Unbroken: Native American Ceramics, Sculpture, and Design, curated by Dillen Peace '19, Native American Art Intern and Sháńdíín Brown '20, Native American Art Intern
Course History
ANTH 11, NAS 11, Ancient Native Americans, Nathaniel Kitchel, Fall 2019
Exhibition History
Unbroken: Native American Ceramics, Sculpture, and Design, Ivan Albright Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, January 22, 2022-March 12, 2023.
Provenance
King Galleries, Santa Fe, New Mexico; sold to present collection, 2019.
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