Alice Williams Cling, Navajo Potter

Diné of the Navajo Nation artist Alice Cling is known for following traditional techniques of pottery making. She achieves a smooth, highly burnished finish to the pinon pitch rather than leaving a thick unpolished coat as most potters do. Simplicity of form and a soft surface sheen are the hallmarks of her work.

The techniques of pottery construction by the Diné are quite like those used by the pueblo potters. Local clay is dug and treated with water, cleaned of debris, and mixed with a tempering material. Some Diné potters use Anasazi potsherds as temper and others use a basaltic substance. The pot is formed in the coil technique and pressed and scraped to the shape and wall thinness desired. Outdoor firing follows Sun drying of the vessels. The final step is coating the vessel with piñon pitch.

Alice Cling began to learn pottery making in 1966 when she returned to Shonto after graduating from high school. She developed a unique style incorporating simplicity of form and a soft surface sheen. Rose Williams is Alice's mother, and her sister is Susie Crank.

Relative Links: Diné of the Navajo Nation, Rose Williams, Susie Crank, Southwest Indian Pottery