Joseph Lonewolf
(January 26, 1932 - ) |
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Art Work
| Name: |
Joseph Lonewolf |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
Santa Clara |
| Nationality: |
American Indian |
| Birth: |
January 26, 1932 |
| Death: |
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| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
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| Medium: |
Ceramics |
| Method: |
Scraffito |
| Style: |
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| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Pottery
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Biography
Well-known for his use of historical methods and his development of sgraffito and bas-relief techniques, Joseph Lonewolf was born at Santa Clara Pueblo is New Mexico. The artist raised the ancient technique of incised pottery to a new art from, creating tiny, delicate pieces often described by critics as “pottery jewels”. Hailed as the “master Indian potter of all time” both abroad and throughout the United States, Lonewolf is also credited as the pioneer of two-tone pottery (red and black), which he creates in a single firing.
While essentially a self-taught artist, the potter learned the techniques of clay sculpturing from his father, Camilio “Sunflower” Tafoya, pottery artist and historical reconstructionist. Combining the traditional procedures used by ancestral potters with contemporary methods, Lonewolf has perfected his own style and means of expression. After the laborious, time-consuming process of creating the clay, forming, curing and scraping it, applying the slip and polishing, the artist is ready to exercise his true creative genius, which is the incising of designs. The one-of-a-kind inscriptions include such ancient Mimbres designs as quail, lizards, scorpions, and kachina faces.
Recipient of innumerable awards, the artist has the distinction of being one of the first Native Americans to have a book, entitled The Pottery Jewels of Joseph Lonewolf, written about his work. His creations have been showcased at such cultural meccas as the Heard Museum in Phoenix, the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe, and the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. (All three have purchased his ceramics for their permanent collections.) Semi-retired, Lonewolf is delighted that his children are carrying on the family’s artistic traditions in great style. |
Samples of Work
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