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From the Clouds: Modern Hopi Kachina Dolls 1940-1980
Opening Reception July 18th 5-7 pm, showing through September 1, 2008
About the Exhibit and Sale:
Our show will present a selection of over 60 authentic Hopi Kachina Dolls, each carved by a Hopi carver and representing a specific Hopi kachina. The dolls, carved of cottonwood root between 1940-1970, are clear examples of the post World War II period of carving, when the kachina doll form first breaks away from the earlier much stiffer and more formal style.
Originally, in the mid-19th century, the dolls were flat pieces of wood with simple painted faces to indicate which specific kachina was being represented. These simple pieces were given to the children in the villages by the real kachinas as religious objects for the children to contemplate. Even today, at a dance you see kachinas give elaborately carved dolls worth several hundred dollars to Hopi children. Since the 1900's the ever growing tourist market has influenced how these dolls were carved and they have evolved from simple flat pieces of wood to full action 3-D sculptures of amazing virtuosity.
This show and sale focuses on the period of carving that started around WWII when more realism and action, along with regalia detailing, was created in the carvings. The dolls are excellent examples of what the real kachinas actually look like. The carvers now include the specific regalia of the kachinas, like rattles, sashes, bows, fetishes, lightning sticks, etc. The quality of the carvings is exceptional in their realism.
Gallery Talk: On Saturday July 26th at 3 pm, Steve Elmore will speak on the trends and evolution of Modern Hopi Kachina Dolls at Steve Elmore Indian Art, 839 Paseo de Peralta, 505/995-9677.
About the Exhibit and Sale:
- Art object, religious object, and souvenir all collide in a Hopi kachina doll. That's what makes these dolls so special, so interesting. We are lucky here in the Southwest to have the rich old Native American culture and life still living around us. Hopi Kachinas are about as fascinating as any culture gets. Living Kachinas visit the Hopi villages in Arizona each year. Beautiful and exotic in appearance, the real kachinas play a multi-faceted role in Hopi culture. There are over 300 different kachinas which can represent many things from the natural world including animals, plants, insects, weather elements, and even specific landmarks. From this kachina cult, the carving of representations, or kachina dolls, has sprouted over the last 150 years or more.
Our show will present a selection of over 60 authentic Hopi Kachina Dolls, each carved by a Hopi carver and representing a specific Hopi kachina. The dolls, carved of cottonwood root between 1940-1970, are clear examples of the post World War II period of carving, when the kachina doll form first breaks away from the earlier much stiffer and more formal style.
Originally, in the mid-19th century, the dolls were flat pieces of wood with simple painted faces to indicate which specific kachina was being represented. These simple pieces were given to the children in the villages by the real kachinas as religious objects for the children to contemplate. Even today, at a dance you see kachinas give elaborately carved dolls worth several hundred dollars to Hopi children. Since the 1900's the ever growing tourist market has influenced how these dolls were carved and they have evolved from simple flat pieces of wood to full action 3-D sculptures of amazing virtuosity.
This show and sale focuses on the period of carving that started around WWII when more realism and action, along with regalia detailing, was created in the carvings. The dolls are excellent examples of what the real kachinas actually look like. The carvers now include the specific regalia of the kachinas, like rattles, sashes, bows, fetishes, lightning sticks, etc. The quality of the carvings is exceptional in their realism.
Gallery Talk: On Saturday July 26th at 3 pm, Steve Elmore will speak on the trends and evolution of Modern Hopi Kachina Dolls at Steve Elmore Indian Art, 839 Paseo de Peralta, 505/995-9677.
Southwestern Landscapes: Interiors & Exteriors - Show Opens June 20th
About the Exhibit and Sale: Native New Mexican painter, Steve Elmore will present 15 new oil paintings created in the last year.
"At a time when most contemporary art is aiming for globalism and universalism, I am moving further into regionalism. Although intensely personal and sometimes abstract, the paintings are definitely products of the Southwest. The show title, "Southwestern Landscapes: Interiors and Exteriors," indicates that I am depicting the Southwest, both inside and outside of my mind, and even both at the same time! The paintings range from action, emotion-driven canvases to studied metaphysical landscapes that border on surrealism.
"I try not to think about the paintings too much. The work keeps changing, because it is still growing. I like to experiment, as well as to repeat an earlier theme. I try to let each painting grow on its own.
"Of course, I have been heavily influenced by Native American art and artists, from the prehistoric to the living. I learned to draw from the great Hopi potter Nampeyo, rather than Italian Renaissance artists. I am trying to bridge gaps between the modern and the ancient, between civilization and nature. My work has also been influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, O'Keefe, Marsden Hartley, and many many others. "I paint because I enjoy it and learn from it, and I'm glad to share the paintings with others." -Steve Elmore
Opening Reception: June 20th, 5-7pm showing through July 17th, 2008
Gallery Talk: On Saturday June 28th, Steve Elmore will speak on his oil paintings at 3 pm. Please come and join us.
Click Here to view the entire show.
"At a time when most contemporary art is aiming for globalism and universalism, I am moving further into regionalism. Although intensely personal and sometimes abstract, the paintings are definitely products of the Southwest. The show title, "Southwestern Landscapes: Interiors and Exteriors," indicates that I am depicting the Southwest, both inside and outside of my mind, and even both at the same time! The paintings range from action, emotion-driven canvases to studied metaphysical landscapes that border on surrealism.
"I try not to think about the paintings too much. The work keeps changing, because it is still growing. I like to experiment, as well as to repeat an earlier theme. I try to let each painting grow on its own.
"Of course, I have been heavily influenced by Native American art and artists, from the prehistoric to the living. I learned to draw from the great Hopi potter Nampeyo, rather than Italian Renaissance artists. I am trying to bridge gaps between the modern and the ancient, between civilization and nature. My work has also been influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, O'Keefe, Marsden Hartley, and many many others. "I paint because I enjoy it and learn from it, and I'm glad to share the paintings with others." -Steve Elmore
Opening Reception: June 20th, 5-7pm showing through July 17th, 2008
Gallery Talk: On Saturday June 28th, Steve Elmore will speak on his oil paintings at 3 pm. Please come and join us.
Click Here to view the entire show.