Spirit World Army, Taboo II Series, 2019; Cochiti red clay, white clay slip, red clay slip, black (wild spinach) paint, 17"h x 14"w x 8"d.
The Art of Virgil Ortiz The dynamic Cochiti artist depicts stories of community and history through art. By Suzanne Newman Fricke, Ph.D.
F
OR VIRGIL ORTIZ (Cochiti) and his family, ceramics are a fundamental part of life. Ortiz says he “was born with clay in my hands.” Trained by his mother, noted potter Seferina Ortiz, and his grandmother, Laurencita
8
SUMMER/FALL 2020
Herrera, Ortiz learned the historical complex and labor-intensive technique for making ceramics in the Southwest. The artist collects and treats raw clay, forms pots by hand without using a wheel, gathers wild plants for paint, and fires in a ground
Courtesy of the artist.
Roxanne Swentzell’s piece The Guardian sits above the reception desk in Hotel Chaco.