ROBERTO and Maria de los Angeles (Angela) Lopez BANUELOS
Mata Ortiz Potters

The pottery of Roberto and his wife Angela in many ways represents the best of Mimbres “revival,” while at the same time expanding beyond the traditional past into the contemporary. Their innovative designs with animal motifs—rabbits, fish, lizards, and other creatures, as well as the feather (or knife-blade) blade—were inspired by the pottery from the ancient Mimbres found around their village. But at the same time, they both emphasize the importance to push themselves into new territory on a daily basis, always challenging themselves. Roberto was the first in the village to begin splattering paint on the pot before painting the designs. Angela uses multiple colored clays—yellow, black, white, red and mixed—and Roberto paints in all color combinations, using double, triple, even four-part fields.

And then there are the designs themselves and Roberto's ability and talent to make something more of the Mimbres animal styles. For instance, his Mimbres fish become a school of fish layered in Escher-style and filling the whole surface of the vessel.

They learned pottery making from Angela's sisters Rosa and Gloria Lopez, both related to Reynaldo Quezada by marriage. Angela forms, sands and polishes the pots. Roberto paints and signs all of the pots. A wonderful and productive collaboration.