155: Virgil Ortiz on reinterpreting the Pueblo Revolt

Today on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler podcast I talk with multimedia artist Virgil Ortiz. Raised in Cochiti Pueblo, Ortiz learned to make traditional ceramic forms by watching older members of his family. As a teen his interest in sci-fi helped him branch out from pottery into figurative sculpture and narrative story telling. As his career in ceramics matured he has ventured in many other directions including writing movie scripts, designing contemporary fashion, and making multimedia installations. His most recent exhibition, Revolt 1680-2180, is on display at the Albuquerque Museum and utilizes ceramic figures, video and photography to tell the reinterpreted story of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against the Spanish.

In the interview we talk about dealing with the history of Native American oppression through making art, designing for Donna Karan, and developing a major motion picture. For more information please visit www.virgilortiz.com.