Ceramic Platter
14 1/4" x 12 1/2" x 3/8"
(36.2 x 31.75 x .95 cm)
Circa mid 1980s - early 1990s
 
This Untitled ceramic platter by Navajo Artist Carl N. Gorman (Kin-Yionny -Beyeh) depicts a lone Navajo man riding in a yuca dotted valley between two plateaus of Diné-tah (Navajoland).
 
This is one of my favorite examples of my grandfather's work. His simple and confident lines are few but easily capture the vastness, strength, and beauty of the land and people as he saw them. For me, it's like looking over his shoulder as he would draw with pencil or charcol over paper - a familar and missed passtime with him.
 
During this time period, both Carl and R.C. were working with Grysner Studios in Taos to create editioned and one of a kind ceramics. Most of the examples are impressed with the marks of Grysner Studio and have a distinct shape or are cast from molds. This piece bears only the signature of Carl N. Gorman on the front image. This leads me to believe this is a one-of-a-kind piece possibly planned for an edition. If so, this is likely the master work created by Carl and not reproduced by a glaze artist. The line work is distictly Carl's.
I have not come across any additional information on this piece in my records so I cannot confirm if this is part of an edition. However, I can confidently say that even if this image was repeated THIS image was created exclusively by hand by Carl making this a unique work of art.