Untitled Painting of a Ceremonial Theme [SOLD]

I have known Geraldine Gutiérrez since the 1980s and often purchased paintings from her then and into the 1990s but never did see anything as comprehensive as this one. Mostly, the ones I am familiar with are single-figure paintings.  This painting, completed when she was 18 years of age, is amazingly detailed.  Geraldine was tutored by her famous uncle, Gilbert Atencio, and Gilbert was an outstanding artist and made it a point to instruct Geraldine to be the same.

Geraldine Gutiérrez (1960 - ) is also a potter of traditional Black-on-black pottery and I understand that she paints only infrequently now and devotes most of her time to making pottery.  Geraldine Gutiérrez's mother, Helen Atencio, was from San Ildefonso Pueblo and her father, Frank Gutierrez, from Santa Clara Pueblo. Although she technically belongs to her mother’s pueblo, she makes her residence at Santa Clara and produces blackware pottery as well as paintings.

Unfortunately, there is no legend provided with the painting so we must appreciate it for its complicated beauty without understanding the intent of the artist. The two large outside figures appear to be spreading blue and yellow sacred cornmeal.  The headdress on the left figure is a turtle. The two females back-to-back in the center appear to have bowls full of corn.  The circle in the center has a sun face and six black Mimbres-style figures.  There are four female figures surrounding the edge of the large circle, two turtles near the figure on the left, an eagle near the figure on the right, a black-on-black jar and a Polychrome jar near the base. There are geometric colorful designs at the top.

The painting is signed and dated in lower right—Geraldine Gutierrez 78.

Condition: appears to be in original condition

Provenance: from a gentleman from Albuquerque

Recommended Reading: Pueblo Indian Pottery 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf