Artisan Angela Corona
Weight - 14 ounces
Height - 7 inches to ear tips
Width - 5 inches
The artisans of the village of Mata Ortiz have a deep tradition of creating effigies. This piece is a 'healthy' image of the Owl. Created by artist Angela Corona, this owl is cheerful and bright eyed. The details of the eyes, and of the two smaller owls and the branches they perch on, are etched into the surface. Colored glazes used are white, red, black and green. All of these elements combine to create the most wonderful image of life and cheerfulness. This type of animal depiction is a trademark of the Mata Ortiz community. The foundational egg shell white glaze is the catalyst which makes all the other detail combine and stand out in wonderful harmony.
The underlying clay is the native white found in the surrounding foothills of the village of Mata Ortiz. The glazes are all created from plants and geology local to the area. The imagery has elements of the ancestors from a thousand years in the past. A sash sweeps across the front and the back. In it are images descended from the Paquime Culture of the ancient Casas Grandes area. Geometric shapes and checkerboard patterns reach right from the past and come forward to the present time.
This piece is both fragile and secure, ancient and modern. Ms. Corona is one of only a handful of artists who can breathe such life into their folk art.