Endemic to the nature of the culture cloud is drifting from topic to topic, or is it just me? I started by going back into “Maynard Dixon” and after about 35 clicks I found myself on Marti Struever’s site looking at a pot by my friend Jody Naranjo. The Jody Naranjo “Hmm” pot is related to the one I am caring for called “The Pueblo Girls”. In the first case the pot depicts Jody and her creative process. It is self-reflexive. It shows her wondering what images to pot on the side of the expertly crafted and polished pot: “Hmm?,” it has the projected version of Jody wondering.

In the second case, one side of the pot shows three female figures set as a rock band, playing drums, guitar and base. The kick drum is labeled “The Pueblo Girls”. Jody said that she and two friends — all known Pueblo artists, one a potter the other a fashion designer — often attend rock concerts together, in Albuquerque, and that Jody sometimes imagines that the three of them have a band together.

The connection is that both pots are self-referential in that they depict things that only exist in Jody’s fertile brain.

I saw the “Hmm?” pot at Marti’s showcase after I had come to terms on taking care of the “Pueblo Girls” pot.

Here is 1’s and 0’s from Marti’s sight, conveniently arranged to appear as words and images:

The things that make you go Hmm. Jody Naranjo’s jar entitled “Hmm. . .” is a ode to her creative process. On one side this beautifully shaped, highly polished redware vessel, Jody has incised a picture of herself thinking up this actual jar. On the other side, there is a picture of Jody happily holding the finished piece. What an interesting concept. Underneath the larger action scenes are Jody Naranjo’s well-known tiny incised designs. The piece is quite large and heavy. It measures 11″ tall x 8″ wide. It is signed.

Well, ok, it’s a link: http://marthastruever.com/jody-naranjo-jar-entitled-hmm.html

(and speaking of process, I have “pot” for “put” somewhere above and “version” for “vision”; the pot itself has “hmmm…” with three m’s and three dots, for your sticklers).

I talked to Jody just the other day, briefly. She is getting ready for Indian Market, in August in Santa Fe, and also has shows or markets in Indianapolis and in the fall here in Cali in LA at the Autry. Meanwhile,  there are extant pieces in galleries in Scottsdale, Tulsa and Denver. In lieu of actual content or pictures of her work, here is a film of Journey the rock band in Albuquerque — pretty sure Jody told me she was attending that show:

Or ping back to picture of Jody and her pot here.