Nathan Youngblood
Santa Clara
Red Polish
Serpent
4 1/4"
H x 4 3/4" D
Nathan Youngblood was born
in Fort Carson, Colorado to Mela and Walt Youngblood. During
his adolescent years Nathan’s family traveled extensively
due to his father’s military career. When his family eventually
returned to Santa Clara Pueblo, Nathan learned to make pottery
by watching his grandmother “the matriarch of Santa Clara
potters,” Margaret Tafoya. Margaret taught him to make and
burnish the pots while his grandfather Alcario Tafoya taught
him designs and carving.
Nathan has been making pottery
since 1972. He creates black, red and tan traditional hand-coiled
pottery in the form of jars, vases, bowls and canteens. He also
makes carved and painted plates. His pots are generally large
measuring above ten inches in diameter.
Using traditional techniques
Nathan often incorporates non-Tewa designs such as abstract shapes
into his pieces. During the firing process Nathan uses the same
traditional method as his grandmother. Each pot is fired individually
so as not to risk destroying all of the pots at once should something
happen during the firing process.
Nathan has become a highly
respected potter known for his creative designs and the exceptional
quality of his work. Since 1976, he has won over 44 awards at
the Santa Fe Indian Market, often winning 1st and 2nd place.
In 1987 he received the Jack Hoover Memorial Award for excellence
in Santa Clara pueblo pottery at Santa Fe Indian Market.
Beginning in 1974, Nathan’s
work has been exhibited at many gallery shows in Scottsdale,
Arizona and Santa Fe, New Mexico. He participated in the Sid
Deusch Gallery show in New York City in 1985.
His work has been exhibited
at the White House and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in
Washington, D.C., the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, the Gilcrease
Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the Denver Museum of Nature and
Science in Denver, Colorado.
