Bronze Sculpture titled “Fish and Game” by Tammy Garcia [SOLD]

"Fish and Game" is a bronze by Tammy Garcia, an influential Santa Clara Pueblo artist. Garcia is widely recognized as one of the strongest, most innovative voices in the world of contemporary Native art. She works mostly in pottery and sculpture, but she has also worked with glass and created jewelry.

"Fish and Game" was originally created in August 2014 in an edition of 25. This particular piece is number 15 of 25. In its form, we see a military-style water canteen with a spout at the top and four studs spread out around its shoulder.

A variety of complex designs adorn the exterior. Straight lines and sharp, right-angled edges form geometric patterns, which bring to mind those that appear on carved Santa Clara pottery. These shapes recede into the background on both of the piece's longer sides, framing on one side a fish and on the other a trio of birds. Plants grow from the bottom of the piece, making their way up just a couple of inches on the side featuring birds and almost to the top on the side that features the fish, Garcia is giving us a wide view of a serene scene and then a close-up view of what's happening down below. Each individual element is beautiful, and the piece as whole serves as a fine example of Tammy Garcia's distinctively modern Pueblo aesthetic.

The bottom of the bronze is signed Tammy Garcia, dated 8-14, and numbered 15/25.

Tammy Garcia is an incredibly talented potter and sculptor. She is a member of Santa Clara Pueblo, but now resides in Taos, New Mexico. The large family of talented artists from which she came includes Sara Fina Tafoya, Margaret Tafoya, Christina Naranjo, Mary Cain, and Linda Cain. She has exhibited widely and received many notable accolades for her innovative work in both pottery and sculpture. Garcia's works are included in many major museum collections, and she was featured in a one-woman exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Bronze Sculpture titled "Fish and Game" by Tammy Garcia is from a private Michigan collection, purchased in 2015 when edition was initially made available for sale.

Recommended Reading: Tammy Garcia, Form Without Boundaries by Bruce Bernstein

TAGS: Santa Clara Pueblo, Mary Cain, Margaret Tafoya, Contemporary Pottery, Tammy Garcia, Santa Clara Pueblo Potter