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Felipe Ortega is recognized as
a master potter in the Jicarilla Apache tradition by the Smithsonian Institution.
He is widely known for his mastery of micaceous clay ceramics and his
charismatic teaching style. He conducts classes out of his studio in La
Madera, New Mexico, and at Northern New Mexico Community College in Espaņola.
Micaceous clay is a
self-tempering clay in which tiny but abundant flakes of sparkling mica strengthen the
clay body and insulate ceramic walls for superior cooking performance. Sodium
occurring naturally in the clays serve to season food and give it a full-bodied flavor.
Mica clay is also extremely forgiving during the forming stages of production
but is hard and durable after drying. Because of its insulating properties, mica
clay vessels vitrify at low firing temperatures, making the process of outdoor pit-firing
economical and feasible. Once fired, mica pots are strong, and if cared for
properly, they can out-perform any favored cast-iron skillet. Feline's
work can be seen at the Zocolo Gallery in Santa Fe and at the Owl Peak Studio, where he
lives in La Madera.
Felipe traces his roots
through the Ollero band of the Jicarilla Apache and Hispanic settlers to northern New
Mexico. Many cultures have utilized the rich mica clay deposits that are
part of this landscape in order to form exquisite ceramic wares, but Jicarilla and
Hispanic potters today take particular pride in the historical roots surrounding their use
of this clay in culinary pottery production. Historically, the Jicarilla
depended upon the production and sale of micaceous cookwares to Pueblo peoples,
Euroamericans and Hispanic settlers. Jicarilla wares were likewise traded into
Pueblo households by trusted friends and acquaintances where they were used in celebration
and also in ritual. Today, Felipe takes care to maintain the ties he has inherited
and developed by providing for Pueblo and Hispanic feasts, and kiva ceremonies.
Family and community virtues
of wellness through cooking are a way of life at the Ortega household. In the
kitchen and dinning rooms, micaceous pots are valued members of the family. They are
not mere objects. Rather they are individuals, created from the artist's hands,
charged with bringing flavor and health to the food cooked within.
I have often been asked how it
is that Felipe can "sell" a thing that he considers to be his child. The
answer is quite simple. He entrusts his work to people he hopes will allow this
child-object to live on, season, mature and eventually age on the stovetops and tables of
their homes. Nonetheless, Felipe is often commissioned to do specialty pieces that
are non-culinary, but these are fashioned beautifully to replicate prehistoric and
historic utility wares such as jars and calabashes.
Felipe teaches the art of
Jicarilla pottery in an open-door policy where tradition is embraced as dynamic change.
"Let anyone come and learn these techniques," he says, "and
maybe they will go on to start traditions of their own."
And so it goes day after busy
day at the Owl Peak Studio and Bead and Breakfast in La Madera, New Mexico where Felipe
teaches, not the art, but the philosophy, behind Jicarilla pottery
production.
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The Artist's hands in watercolor
Cutting fresh-baked bread for feast day.
Visit Ortega Collections at the University of Michigan, browse through the steps of making a Jicarilla pot, or read an essay about Mr. Ortega below. |
