New Mexico Research Paper

To the rising stars of jewelry, the essence of New Mexico’s tradition is innovation and refinement. It goes beyond turquoise and silver.
A new group of makers is “blowing the doors off the craft,” one expert said. Call them disrupters. And these innovators don’t intend to be defined or limited by the turquoise-and-silver pairing that many people identify as the very symbol of Southwestern style. “Visitors come to Santa Fe expecting traditional Southwestern jewelry,” said Lawrence Baca, who works out of a simple mom-and-pop studio in Santa Fe. “They’re pleasantly surprised when they find sophisticated contemporary jewelry.”
Contemporary jewelry making – techniques and styles that push beyond the norm – is a natural evolution in a place so
Patina opened in 1999 with a mission to offer contemporary jewelry by influential American and European makers.
“We emphasize and recognize the pioneering spirit of metalsmithing both here and abroad,” said Allison Barnett, an authority on artistic jewelry and co-owner of Patina, considered one of the top 10 galleries of its kind in the world. “What we’ve brought to Santa Fe has influenced many artists. Some Patina artists are true pioneers – Alexandra Watkins, Michael Zobel, Claire Kahn, Harold O’Connor. Michael Zobel, for instance, was the first maker to combine oxidized silver and high-karat gold to make jewelry feel like a second skin.”
Among Santa Fe’s artists, Baca exemplifies those who blend tradition and innovation. The winner of the lifetime achievement award at Santa Fe’s 2015 Spanish Market, Baca is a master in the Spanish Colonial tradition who also is known to surprise jewelry collectors with his use of car paint, recycled objects and other non-traditional
When an artist in one place pioneers a technique, makers elsewhere learn about it quickly and build on it.
“One artist’s influence on other artists has expanded significantly because of the Internet,” Patina Gallery’s Barnett said.
That means the influence of New Mexico’s contemporary makers spreads daily, said Ira Wilson, manager of Shumakolowa Native Arts, the retail arm of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. “What this group of artists is creating is just blowing the doors off the craft,” Wilson said in 2015, as he prepared to moderate a panel discussion on how new technologies and tastes are reshaping the Native-jewelry business.
In a recent interview, Wilson singled out Pat and Chris Pruitt, brothers from Laguna Pueblo known for blending old- and new-school techniques. Pat Pruitt pushes the boundaries in particular with new materials ranging from surgical stainless steel to titanium.
“I see the industry taking note and see works popping up across the globe biting on these particular styles,” Wilson said. “It’s nice to see it finally opening up and embracing something new and