"Kosa Mortar Lesson"

Clay Original
27 " H, 18" W, 15 1/2" D

SOLD

In my lifetime, I've had a few opportunities to rework a piece that I thought was done, "but came back for more". This Pueblo Kosa (clown) is one of those pieces. It started out simple and a play on his black and white stripes turning into sides turning into building blocks...(cute), but the blocks turned into a wall. Building walls seemed to be a theme of the times and had an emotional charge that came with it. I couldn’t help but feel the Kosa playing off this concept of borders, walls, "insiders", and "outsiders". I thought of Dr. Seuss's brilliant book, "The Star Belly Snitches", and our human insecurities of wanting to belong. The question always becomes, "Who and what are you and where do you belong?" This question brings up my blood pressure immediately. Well, the next phase of this piece took the shape of turning the blocks into flags from around the world and dying the cornhusk on his head orange. I guess I needed to make a comment from my own hurt and angry Native American point of view about "outsiders", but it didn't stop there...the conversation wasn't over, nor will it be for quite awhile. As I watched people's reactions to this piece, I wish I could say that I acted from a deeper,