Ramona Sakiestewa
RAVEN @ THE BIG BANG
The Raven Series Ramona Sakiestewa
Crows and ravens are part of the Corvid family of birds and continue to evolve in different regions of the world. They fly, nest, and forage near where we live. In the morning, they fly to the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains and then fly back toward town in the evening. We have a small pond where they drink, bathe, and preen while carrying on their busy bird conversations with each other. It seems they have been here forever…since the “Big Bang” perhaps.
Ravens @ the Big Bang 1, 2, and 3 were all printed at the Fourth Dimension Studio with the assistance of Master Printer Michael McCabe. The printed papers were deconstructed and then reassembled and sewn. I made several of my favorite print plates by gluing fabric to the plates, which gives the print a wonderful, mottled image that changes with every print that is pulled. These ravens’ wings are from one of those plates. Having started as a tapestry weaver, I continue to use woven elements in my work when I can, be it metal, glass, painting, or print. You will see woven elements in this new series of ravens, as well.
Raven @ the Big Bang 2, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, silk thread, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Raven @ the Big Bang 1, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, silk thread, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Raven @ the Big Bang 3, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, silk thread, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Ravens @ the Big Bang A and B and Raven Walks the Milky Way are my attempt to stylize the Japanese sumi-e painted ravens that I admire. I like the simple brush stroke gestures of those Japanese paintings. All the papers were printed at the Fourth Dimension Press, and you can see that they were overprinted, deconstructed, and reassembled. Michael McCabe assisted in the printing and did the dry mounting of the final prints.
Raven Walks the Milky Way, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Raven @ the Big Bang A, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Raven @ the Big Bang B, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, paper collage 30 x 23 in
Sandhill Crane Eclipse I was once in Vernal, Utah, watching sandhill cranes browse in a field. They are very majestic birds, but they are long-legged and look like they might need a good running start to lift off the ground. As I watched them, slowly overhead, a tiny speck came closer into view, and I realized that a hawk was looking for a chance to take one of the birds out for a meal. The cranes realized an attack was underway, and five of the gangly birds formed a circle and began flapping their wings. In the beginning, I thought that they were just forming a defensive pose. Slowly, and with much effort, they lifted straight up from the ground one by one and swirled in a circle moving upward. It was both stressful and exhilarating to watch them, their wings outstretched but beating together, their long legs hanging, swirling up and up until they were in a tight column. The hawk gave up and flew off, but I have never forgotten the event. An eclipse often portends a tragic event; it can also mean to outshine or surpass. In this case, the sandhill cranes outshone the hawk in the face of a potentially bad outcome. Sandhill Crane Eclipse. A is made from a combination of Japanese gold and red paint on Bristol paper. The red and black paper was printed at the Fourth Dimension Press. [Gallery Director] Margo Thoma brought paint powders back from one of her trips to Japan. I have used her gold and several other Japanese gold paints to get a layered look.
Sandhill Crane Eclipse. A, 2021 deconstructed monoprint, ink, paint, paper collage 30 x 22.5 in
1601 Paseo de Peralta Santa Fe, NM 87501 505 984 1387 taimodern.com gallery@taimodern.com
Ramona Sakiestewa RAVEN @ THE BIG BANG AUGUST 19 - SEPTEMBER 11, 2021 Artist Reception: Thursday, August 19, 5 - 7pm