Mata Ortiz Pottery
From Native American Information Superhighway Alltribes™ Wiki
In the late sixties and early seventies, Mata Ortiz potter Juan Quezada created a revolution of Mata Ortiz pottery by bringing ancient southwestern Mesoamerican Indian pottery traditions back into the modern age. Inspired by pottery from the ancient city of Paquimé, which traded as far north as New Mexico and Arizona and throughout northern Mexico, modern potters are producing work for national and international sale. Now, Mata Ortiz pottery or Casas Grandes pottery from the Casas Grandes region is some of the most sought after pottery in the world. There is a wide variety of Mata Ortiz pottery, including Black on Black Mata Ortiz pottery, Mata Ortiz effigy pottery, Mata Ortiz wedding vase pottery, Mata Ortiz dazzler pottery and Mata Ortiz Mariposa pottery.
The clay gathered for Mata Ortiz pots comes from a hole dug by Juan Quezada. He discovered the clay while searching the ground for minerals and clay when he paused for a moment and watched some ants bring round balls of white substance out of the hole. Juan grew curious and dug a hole next the the ant hole, about a foot below was a white vein of clay. This clay provides most of Mata Ortiz, Mexico with their clay.
Mata Ortiz pots are hand built without the use of a potter’s wheel. Shaping, polishing and painting the clay is entirely done by hand. All materials and tools originate from supplies that are readily available locally. The paints for Mata Ortiz pottery come from grinding minerals to a fine powder. Juan Quezada experiments with new minerals to try to find the richest blacks and more vibrant reds. Each Mata Ortiz pot is hand painted with a human hair brush. These brushes are supplied to about 15 artists by Juan Quezada's granddaughter Judy. These brushes are designed to paint very fine lines and intricate designs.
The last step in Mata Ortiz pottery is firing. The preferred fuel for the low temperature firing is grass-fed cow manure or split wood. Mata Ortiz pottery is usually fired at 1000-1500 F, where the clay begins to melt and turn glasslike. Firing is an art form - Mata Ortiz potters watch the smoke and flame color to adjust the heat while firing. Two different styles of firing is used for Mata Ortiz pots. One is Oxidation firing and the other is Reduction firing. Each of these characteristics derive from the ancient pottery traditions of the region, however Mata Ortiz ware incorporates elements of contemporary design and decoration and each potter or pottery family produces distinctive individualized ware.
Today, Mata Ortiz Pottery, inspired by the designs of Juan Quezada, is displayed along with other Southwest pottery in many homes in the Southwest as well as around the world. Young clay workers from surrounding areas have been attracted to the Mata Ortiz revival and have joined Quezada and his associates. New potting families developed and the art movement continues to expand. A vibrant flow of new ideas, without the restraints of traditional practices or gender constraints, has enabled the pottery of Mata Ortiz to avoid derivative repetition common to folk art movements. This blend of cultural expression, economic need and artistic freedom has produced a unique artistic movement in the community.
