Johnny Ortiz Field Studies 


| edition 1 | series of 6

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The first time I dug micaceous earth I reveled in it’s completely unique beauty. The layers of various decomposed rock over thousands of years, littered with mica flake and root systems, seemed too stunning to do anything with. This earth was the same that my ancestors have dug from. How could I make anything that competed with this magic material in its rawest form. Three years later, I’ve decided I really can’t, I can make things that honor the clay... that serve a function, but nothing that was better than.
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The field studies are a series of work that is aimed to honor the land, the land I inhabit and am from, as it is. Each fragment is pit fired and cured the same as the rest of my work. The subtle marks of interaction with the human are reminder that we can interact with nature in a holistic way. A fragment to pay tribute to, and to draw our focus back to, the inherent beauties of nature and our relationship to it. -JO

photos by Johnny Ortiz