Luther Gutierrez

1911 - 1987

BiographyLuther Gutierrez (1911-1987), of Santa Clara Pueblo, was the son of potters Lela and Van Gutierrez and bother of Margaret Gutierrez. He is the father of Pauline Naranjo. Luther was active between 1935-1987 making polychrome jars, bowls and wedding vases.

Luther learned how to find and process the clay, and to make clay slips, from his father. Luther collaborated with his mother from 1949 until her death in 1966 and with his sister, from the mid-1960s until his death in 1987. Margaret and Luther’s painted slips included unique color combinations. Their first creations included polychrome bowls, jars and wedding vases. In the 1970s they came up with their original idea of making polychrome caricatures of animals and other smaller figurines rather than the jars made famous by their parents. These were painted with the same slips and pigments used on earlier pieces.

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