Mireya Quezada, Mata Ortiz, Mexico, Polychrome Olla, 2000, clay, 7 x 8 in. Collection of Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of Dr. Ronald and Mrs. Katherine Margolis. 2020.33.11
In 2020, TMA received a gift of 30 works of ceramic art created in Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, a community located just a few hours’ drive southeast of Tucson. Donated to the museum by Ronald and Katherine Margolis, these works show how the potters of Mata Ortiz took inspiration from ancient ceramic art traditions and innovated upon them to create exciting new forms.
Hector Ortega, Mata Ortiz, Mexico, Blackware Vessel, clay, 9 x 12 in. Collection of Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of Dr. Ronald and Mrs. Katherine Margolis. 2020.33.7
The pieces in the Margolis gift show the technical virtuosity of their creators. On cream-colored vessels, geometric painting wraps around the bodies. Blackware vessels in the Margolis gift are confidently sculpted and polished to reflect dark light. On the zoomorphic (having the form of an animal) figure below, the painter has ingeniously rendered the face to capture the texture of an animal’s fur. The Mata Ortiz pottery tradition is an important part of the artistic heritage of the Borderlands region, and TMA is fortunate to add these fine examples to the collection.
See selections from the Margolis gift of Mata Ortiz pottery in the new Schmidt Gallery of Latin American Folk Art, opening on March 11, 2021!
Sabino Villalba, Mata Ortiz, Mexico, Racoon Effigy Vessel, clay, 12 x 8 in. Collection of Tucson Museum of Art. Gift of Dr. Ronald and Mrs. Katherine Margolis. 2020.33.23
