Julian Martinez Information
Julian Martinez, also known as Pocano (1879-1943), was a San Ildefonso Pueblo potter[1] and the patriarch of the most important family of Native American artisans in the United States.
Contents |
Background
Martinez was born in 1897 in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. His name, Pocano, means "Coming of the Spirits" in Tewa. He worked as a farmer, general laborer, and janitor, in addition to being an artist. He was elected governor of San Ildefonso.[2]
Martinez married Maria Martinez, and their son Popovi Da, became a famous artist.[3]
Artwork
Born on the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico, Martinez was instrumental in reviving the San Ildefonso and Santa Clara blackware pottery traditions.[4] Julian researched traditional designs and reproduced them on the pottery, later modifying traditional designs to create his own. His wife Maria Martinez is considered the preeminent creator of San Ildefonso blackware pottery and her name is synonymous with excellence in Indian pottery making. His son Popovi Da continued the tradition of innovation in pottery making, and is considered by many as the most accomplished Native American potter and painter of the 20th century.
Martinez is credited for inventing a revolutionary technique that would allow for areas of the pottery to have a matte finish and other areas to be a glossy jet black.[5]
Martinez was also an easel painter.[1] He painted Pueblo rituals and abstract designs with colored pencil and watercolor, and featured Western figurative types against blank backgrounds.[6] He painted murals at the former Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.[2]
Public collections
Martinez' artwork can be found in the following public collections.
- Amon Carter Museum of Art, Fort Worth, Texas
- Amerind Foundation, Dragoon, Arizona
- Arizona State Museum, Tucson, Arizona
- Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, Columbus, Ohio
- Cleveland Museum of Fine Arts, Cleveland, Ohio
- Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
- Dartmouth College Collection, Hanover, New Hampshire
- Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Norman, Oklahoma
- Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska
- National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC
- National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center, New York City, New York
- Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts, Owensboro, Kentucky
- Marion Koogler McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas
- Museum of Northern Arizona, Katherine Harvey Collection, Flagstaff, Arizona
- American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York
- Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos, New Mexico
- Riverside Museum, New York City, New York
- School for Advanced Research, Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Smithsonian Museum of American Art, Washington, DC[1]
- Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Los Angeles, California
- University of Pennsylvania Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, New Mexico[2]
Death
Martinez died on March 6, 1943 in San Ildefonso.[3]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c "Julian Martinez." Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- ^ a b c Lester 344
- ^ a b Lester 343
- ^ "Maria & Julian Martinez Pottery". Masterpiece Technologies. Retrieved 11/13/07.
- ^ Sublette, Mark J. "Maria Martinez and San Ildefonso Pottery." Medicine Man Gallery. Retrieved 11/13/07.
- ^ Julian Martinez. Retrieved 11/7/07.
References
- Lester, Patrick D. The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters. Tulsa, OK: SIR Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-8061-9936-9.
External links
- Julian Martinez art, National Museum of the American Indian
- Julian Martinez art, Smithsonian American Art Museum
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| Name | Martinez, Julian |
| Alternative names | Pocano |
| Short description | San Ildefonso painter and potter from New Mexico, husband of Maria Martinez |
| Date of birth | 1879 |
| Place of birth | San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico |
| Date of death | 6 March 1943 |
| Place of death | San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico |
Categories:
- Painters from New Mexico
- Native American painters
- Native American potters
- Pueblo people
- 1879 births
- 1943 deaths
|