Señor Quintana - Artist
Width - 4.25 inches
Length - 13.75 inches
Height - 8.5 inches to back
Weight - 4 pounds 6 ounces
Artist Tomas Quintana is one of the few master craftsmen behind many of the animal figurines that come out of Mata Ortiz. His work covers a wide variety of animal figures.
This sculpture is of a buffalo/bison. It possesses a bold and sturdy presence. The texture of the fur has been created through etching hundreds of individual lines. The shoulders are broad and the back is highly arched. Across the back is a smooth saddle. On the saddle a gopher is superimposed on a checkered background. Two pronounced vipers are on either shoulder. This is a male bison, the artist did not skip over those details. The frontal view of the beast has the near real effect of looking straight at you.
The animal is flowing with cultural imagery and symbolism. The stacked cubic shapes in the body of the snakes, the checkerboard patterns and snake fangs are traditional designs first implemented by his ancestors 1000 years ago.
This art is original, it is unique, and it encompasses the ancient with the contemporary.
Señor Quintana signs his works on the bottom.
Please see the video.