San Ildefonso Pueblo Original Painting Featuring a Mimbres Fish Design by Tony Da [R]

Tony Da, the son of Popovi Da, was a third generation Martinez. He was born in 1940 and at a young age showed skill and much prospect at becoming a painter. All through school Tony Da excelled artistically and he eventually moved on to major in art at Western New Mexico University, which was located in the same area as the prehistoric Mimbres Indians.

Being exposed to this area led Tony Da's artwork to be largely influenced by Mimbres pottery designs. After leaving the university and joining the Navy he began pursuing his art full time, gaining him early recognition as an exceptional young artist.

"Tony often used his favorite source, prehistoric Mimbres designs, as a subject in paintings and pottery alike. At other times he combined the traditional with the abstract, the abstract with the realistic or semi-realistic, or perhaps an image against a background of design motifs. His subjects are always handled in an unusual and inventive manner." (The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez, pg. 137)

This statement certainly rings true for this painting. In it are depicted two Mimbres fish sharing space with the famous Mimbres feather design that influenced his grandfather, Julián Martinez, to create the now-famous feather design black-on-black plate. The background behind the fish is speckled, each fish having its own color. The square box with arrowhead ends surrounding the plate features a speckled background of a different color from those in the plate, and the background behind the box is still a different speckled color. Each of these adds texture and depth to the painting.

This piece is signed Da and dated 70, short for 1970. It is in original excellent condition. The image is double matted with acid-free materials and framed in a wooden frame that exhibits some minor distress.

Tony Da pieces are all too rare considering he started his career around 1964, when he moved in with Maria, and ended it with his crippling motorcycle accident in 1982. He passed away on the 12th of February 2008 at 67 years of age.

Provenance: Adobe Gallery purchased this from an Illinois family in 2010 and sold it to a client in Texas from whose estate we have now received it.

Recommended Reading:  The Life and Art of Tony Da by Charles King