The Tony Da Legacy, a Lecture by Charles S. King

Gallery owner Charles King will give a lecture on the life and legacy of Tony Da.

Tony Da was the first Pueblo “rock star.” He broke cultural barriers as a “modern Indian,” steeped in San Ildefonso Pueblo tradition but living in a contemporary world. A grandson of Maria Martinez and the son of Popovi Da, his precision designs and techniques revolutionized Pueblo pottery and created a new vocabulary for the art. Among the first men to make and design pottery, he introduced sgraffito etching, inlaid stones, and beads, initiated black and sienna colorations, and invented his stylized iconography derived from the ancient Mimbres pottery. Although his career only spanned fifteen years, his work and persona are increasingly relevant.

In 2011, Tony Da’s pottery and paintings focused on an exhibit entitled; ‘Creative Spark, The Life, and Art of Tony Da.’ (Museum of Indian Arts and Culture of Santa Fe 2011-2013.)