Julian Martinez

Julián Martínez, also known as Pocano (1879–1943), was a San Ildefonso Pueblo potter,[1] painter, and the patriarch of a family of Native American ceramic artists in the United States.

Julián Martínez
Julian Martinez in 1920
Born
Pocano

1879 (1879)
San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
Died1943 (1944)
San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
NationalitySan Ildefonso Pueblo
Educationcommunity
Known forCeramics, Painting
MovementSan Ildefonso Self-Taught Group
ElectedGovernor of San Ildefonso Pueblo
Patron(s)School for Advanced Research

Background

Martínez was born in 1879 in San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico.[2] 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.[3]

Martínez married matriarch potter Maria Martinez, and together they had a son Popovi Da, who also potter.[4] Maria is considered the preeminent creator of San Ildefonso blackware pottery; however Julian contributed to her accomplishments. Their son Popovi Da continued innovating Pueblo ceramic arts; his work has been widely exhibited and collected.[5]

Martinez died on March 6, 1943, in San Ildefonso Pueblo.[4]

Work

The Martinez family was instrumental in reviving the San Ildefonso and creating the San Ildefonso black-on-black, matte-on-shiny pottery technique. The Martínez family is credited for inventing a technique that would allow for areas of the pottery to have a matte finish and other areas to be a glossy jet black.[6]

Martínez, with help from anthropologist, Edgar Lee Hewett researched historical designs and reproduced them on the pottery, later modifying classical Pueblo designs to create his own.

Martínez 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.[7] He painted murals at the former Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.[3]

Martínez was part of an art movement called the San Ildefonso Self-Taught Group, which included such noted artists as Alfonso Roybal, Tonita Peña, Abel Sanchez (Oqwa Pi), Crecencio Martinez, and Encarnación Peña.[8]

Public collections

The artwork of Maria and Julian Martinez can be found in the following public collections.

See also

References
  1. "Julian Martinez." Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  2. Berlo, Janet C.; Phillips, Ruth B. (1998). Native North American Art. Oxford University Press. p. 217.
  3. Lester 344
  4. Lester 343
  5. King, Charles S. (2017). Spoken Through Clay: Native Pottery of the Southwest. Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press. pp. 120–123. ISBN 97808901.36249 Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help).
  6. Sublette, Mark J. "Maria Martinez and San Ildefonso Pottery." Medicine Man Gallery. Retrieved 11/13/07.
  7. Julian Martinez. Retrieved 11/7/07.
  8. Wander, Robin (February 22, 2012). "Highlights from Stanford's Native American paintings collection are showcased in Memory and Markets: Pueblo Painting in the Early 20th Century". Stanford News. Stanford University, Cantor Art Center. Retrieved October 22, 2014.

Notes
  • Lester, Patrick D. The Biographical Directory of Native American Painters. Tulsa, OK: SIR Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-8061-9936-9.
  • Crawford, Virginia. "American Indian Painting." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 69, no. 1 (1982): 3-17.
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