Photo: Otherwordly Pottery By Christine McHorse

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Spiral by Christine McHorse

‘Spiral’ is one of several ceramics by Navajo artist Christine McHorse currently displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Addison Doty Photography)

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Spiral by Christine McHorse

‘Spiral’ is one of several ceramics by Navajo artist Christine McHorse currently displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Addison Doty Photography)

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Photo: Otherwordly Pottery By Christine McHorse

By:

ICTMN Staff

6/5/15

Pottery by Navajo artist Christine McHorse is currently on display in an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. McHorse has been creating her unique brand of abstract ceramic art for nearly 20 years, have made a decision in the mid-90s to make pottery as sculpture, not functional houseware. She uses techniques potters have used for centuries, but these objects don’t necessarily hold water of flowers.

Her philosophical decision about the nature of her art was followed by a stylistic breakthough. As the page about her exhibit on the MoCNA website explains, “instead of leaving it the natural tan color of the clay she placed it in a garbage can filled with burning leaves and closed the lid. By reducing the oxygen, the pot’s surface turned black. The flecks of mica from her locally sourced clay glittered dramatically against the black ground, creating an advancing and receding surface of dark and light.”

This image was featured in this week’s Indian Country Today Media Network newsletter.