Artist
Maria Martinez
USA (San Ildefonso Pueblo)
Black-on-black. Tradition and innovation in one gesture.
She revived an ancient technique, invented something new, and became the most famous Native American potter in history.
Maria Martinez was making traditional polychrome ware when archaeologists found ancient black pottery sherds. Working with her husband Julian, she rediscovered the reduction firing method. Then Julian invented something new: using guaco (wild plant juice) to paint matte designs on the burnished surface. The result—matte black on shiny black—became Maria's signature and made her internationally famous. In her later years, she signed her work collectively to spread the benefits.
How might tradition and innovation work together?