GRAPHITE BLACKWARE
Mata Ortiz pottery comes in a variety of colors and styles, and one of them is often referred to as “black on black.”  I had been curious about how the potters achieved this look, and came across the answer one day while browsing through The Many Faces of Mata Ortiz (contributors: Susan Lowell, Jim Hills, Jorge Quintana Rodriguez, Walter Parks, and Michael Wisner).  Apparently, one day one of the artists signed his pot with a pencil before firing it, and realized that the silvery look of the graphite was still there afterwards.  The potters of Mata Ortiz have always been innovative and willing to try new things, and applying graphite mixtures to the surface of pots (along with other processes for firing/polishing/burnishing to get different finishes) took off in the 1980’s, and artists are still using that technique today! ~ Emily, Gallery Associate

Spirits in the Wind Gallery
1211 Washington Ave
Golden, CO 80401