Original Painting “Pottery Bird” by Pablita Velarde [R]

A number of pueblo artists have drawn elaborate mythological birds. Almost all the early pueblo artists, including Julian Martinez, Awa Tsireh, Ma Pe Wi, Richard Martinez and others, have done so. Pablita Velarde was no exception. The general concept was to elaborately color the bird. It does not necessarily have any relation to reality, but is highly mythological.

It is highly likely that each artist “let loos”" when painting these elaborate birds. Attention to graphic detail was not the concern. Use of elaborate designs and multiple colors seem to be more important. I imagine the artists felt a sense of freedom from restrictions of detail and were able to let their color senses dictate their actions.

Velarde perhaps symbolized a turkey in this painting. Whether she had a turkey in mind or not is not the important thing. How she decorated it is the prime element of significance.

Date: 1979. Signed lower right.

Provenance: From the estate of Fred & Margarete Chase, Enchanted Mesa, Albuquerque, NM.