Earth Forms: The Boundless Art of Lonnie Vigil and Ansel Adams Michelle Janine Lanteri University of North Carolina at Greensboro Faculty Mentor: Elizabeth Perrill University of North Carolina at Greensboro Abstract This paper examines Lonnie Vigil and Ansel Adams’ “earth-formed artworks” within the shared context of The Mint Museum’s permanent collection of American artworks. While Vigil’s ceramic vessels are literally made of micaceous earth, Adams’ landscape photographs and abstract earth patterns are formed in gelatin silver. Both artists use fundamentally different media to embody the earth’s materiality; however, their processes similarly represent their rev- erent partnerships with the earth and rely on the earth’s forms and textures to comprise their art’s content. This research juxtaposes Vigil and Adams’ spiritual relationships with the earth with the visual metaphors extant within their art, identifi es the initial, critical moments of both artists’ acceptance into the international art arena, and provides three formal comparisons between “earth-formed artworks” produced by both twentieth century, American artists. Imagine yourself in a gallery surrounded patterns formed his reverent relationship with by ceramic and photographic art that ra- the earth. The shared context of Vigil’s mi- diates the earth’s sublimity. A shimmering, caceous ceramics and Adams’ straight pho- micaceous clay sphere robed in an undulat- tography in The Mint Museum’s permanent ing mass of cloud forms sits on a pedestal collection of American artworks provides adjacent to a photograph fi lled with folding the foundation from which I have researched sand dunes and refl ective planes of sky and the artists’ initial, critical moments of profes- desert. For contemporary artist, Lonnie Vigil, sional acceptance and performed three cross- from Nambe Pueblo, New Mexico, sculpting media, formal comparisons. In addition, the traditional, micaceous clay ceramics infused artists share the following two qualities: their with innovative, elemental abstractions em- spiritual partnerships with the earth and the bodies his spiritual partnership with Mother literal embodiment of the earth’s materiality Earth. For modern artist, Ansel Adams, from within their art. Vigil’s elemental ceramics, San Francisco, California, transforming the made of micaceous earth, and Adams’ earth- traditional, transcendental landscape vista patterned photographs, formed in gelatin into a “straight photograph” of abstract, earth silver, metaphorically represent the earth’s 21 Explorations | Art and Humanities transformative nature through abstract, for- and conservationist work demonstrated his mal properties. Moreover, despite the artists’ reverence for the earth and appreciation use of fundamentally different media, they of the land’s essential vitality. In addition, similarly utilize abstract textures from the Adams, a proponent of the nineteenth cen- earth’s landscape to form their art’s content tury Romantic landscape tradition, publicly and inherently honor their reverent partner- encouraged viewers to experience the vast- ships with the earth through their creative ness of the earth’s formal properties through processes. his compassionate lens while simultaneously Earth-formed art, a term I propose here, promoting his message of the earth’s trans- refers to artworks that embody the natural formative nature. locations from which their compositional Vigil’s earth-based medium, micaceous structures literally derive, and in effect, ex- clay, refers to mica-rich soil found in the ist as progeny of physically extant earth sites. decomposing minerals of northern New To test the rigor of this concept, I have con- Mexico’s Sangre de Cristo mountains. ducted three, cross-cultural, formal compari- Native American ceramists from Northern sons of artworks by Native American Lonnie New Mexican Pueblos ask permission from Vigil and American Ansel Adams. These Mother Earth to collect the sacred clay works form their materiality from the land it- from this section of the Rocky Mountains. self and encompass Vigil and Adams’ physi- Moreover, micaceous clay, a gift to con- cal relationships with the earth’s landscape. temporary Pueblo people from their ances- As such, the term, earth-formed art, also tors and Clay Mother, is used to make art serves to index the inspiration for both Vigil vessels as well as domestic, heat-resistant and Adams’ creative processes, namely their cooking pots and durable storage wares. The spiritual bonds with the earth. Vigil’s ce- Pueblo tradition of hand-building micaceous ramic vessels, made of micaceous clay, for- culinary wares dates back to the fourteenth mally and thematically correspond to Adams’ century. gelatin silver prints of the earth’s landscape. Vigil, a self-taught artist, intuitively makes In addition, these earth-formed artworks en- hand-built, micaceous vessels which exist as capsulate the artists’ syntheses of three prin- contemporary artworks that unequivocally ciples: their art’s embodiment of the earth’s blend traditional, storage ware forms with materiality, their respectful relationships with the artist’s unique, sleek designs. Echoing nature, and their phenomenological relations the scale of large storage vessels, Vigil’s with the earth. Thus, when collecting clay, works possess non-traditional, thin walls Vigil honors the earth as the utmost, elemen- and asymmetrical openings that utilize the tal entity from whom he asks permission to clay’s plasticity to maintain their spatial po- use “her” material to demonstrate the sacred sitions. Vigil applies earth-inspired, abstract clay’s multitude of meaningful expressions. sensibilities to his contemporary sculptures; Through his art, Vigil gives viewers an op- he relies on line, texture, light, and mass to portunity to closely examine and experience communicate meaning within his works. To the mica-fl ecked, lustrous clay. Moreover, he accentuate his vessels’ formal aesthetics, the prefaces his public explanations of his cre- artist sands and polishes the clay bodies as ative process with a solemn gratitude for the well as layers shimmering, micaceous slip on earth’s irreplaceable, transmutable energy as the sculptures’ walls. This process intensi- well as his ancestors’ earth-based, artistic tra- fi es the vessels’ luminosity, hue, and tonality ditions. Likewise, Adams nurtured his rever- and epitomizes the artist’s signature, formal ent bond with the earth’s landscape through language. When the artworks are completely an inspired relationship with Yosemite built and stylized, Vigil places them into a National Park; his honorifi c photographs homemade bonfi re. After Vigil gently wipes 22 Michelle Janine Lanteri the ashes from a fi red vessel’s walls, the hand-painted slip motifs and, in some cases, artwork’s transcendental, spiritual nature is featured decorative fi re cloud markings. The revealed through its pertinent formal proper- market’s denigrated status of micaceous ce- ties, namely its sleek design, lustrous surface, ramics prevented these artworks from win- and undulating fi re cloud patterns. These ning the required awards needed for candi- properties mimic the formal characteristics of dacy for the market’s top honor, best of show. desert, sun, and sky and represent the artist’s In effect, it signifi cantly hindered the market spiritual connection to the earth and Nambe community’s reception of micaceous ceram- Pueblo, New Mexico. ics as art. In 1982, Vigil made his fi rst steps towards At the 1992 Santa Fe Indian Market, his current career when he resigned from the judges overturned the market’s earlier the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington perspectives of micaceous ceramics and D.C. and returned home to Nambe Pueblo, awarded Lonnie Vigil’s Rainbow Jar with New Mexico. Shortly after his return home, the three necessary honors needed to qualify Vigil began studying clay. From his mother for best of show. In effect, the elevated status and sister, he learned about micaceous clay’s bestowed upon Vigil at the 1992 market posi- plastic properties and its nearby location in tioned the artist’s micaceous, sculptural ves- the Sangre de Cristo mountains. He also sel as a legitimate artwork in the eyes of the relied on his ancestors and the sacred earth market’s curators and collectors. Although spirit, Clay Mother, for strength and guidance Vigil did not win best of show, being a can- during this unpredictable journey. Vigil told didate for the award propelled the artist into me, “The process unraveled over about ten a global arena of museums, galleries, and years.” Since 1992, Vigil has been credited academia and provided the artist with inter- as the pioneering artist who established mi- national publicity. While the market’s judges caceous ceramics as legitimate art within the honored Vigil for many awards throughout contemporary, international art arena. the following years, it was not until 2001 that The world-renowned Santa Fe Indian Vigil received the market’s top honor, best Market facilitates relationships for compet- of show. During a telephone interview with ing Native American ceramists like Vigil, Vigil, he said, “I help my family and other serves as a professional springboard for all people while sharing our [ancestors’] gift participating Native American artists, and with the world. [Winning] the award had to holds an “art world authority” post in the be at the right time.” eyes of the market’s extensive community Although Vigil’s professional accolades of curators and collectors. In the mid-1960s, serve as testaments to his talent, technical the market experienced substantial growth profi ciencies, and international acceptance in the facets of support and attendance and in the art world, the Nambe Pueblo art- began facilitating direct communications ist remains humble and continues to be in- and professional relationships between the spired by his family, the clay, and the earth. market’s participating artists, curators, and Refl ecting on the physical power of the earth, collectors. However, until 1992, compet- Vigil shared with me, “[The earth] begins all ing micaceous ceramists were shunned from things, from the fuel to create to [all] natural winning the market’s awards; their artworks and manufactured things.” Moreover, the art- did not match the judges’ traditional criteria ist reaffi rms his spiritual connection to nature and were deemed strictly utilitarian because by participating in seasonal, phenomenologi- of the medium’s extant use for domestic, cal rituals with the sacred land. For example, culinary wares. The judges also staved off during each year’s milder months, Vigil col- the acceptance of micaceous ceramics as lects modest amounts of Mother Clay’s gifts “art,” because the vessels’ surfaces lacked of cottonwood trees and micaceous soil. He 23 Explorations | Art and Humanities explained, “We gather only dead cottonwood earth as well as the extracted, textural details trees near the river [for the bonfi re] and ask of the landscape. From 1932 to 1935 Adams Mother Earth for only as much clay as we took the straight photography tradition to need.” While the trees, clay, and artistic new heights as a founder of the modern- process are all gifts from the earth, Vigil’s ist photographers’ collective, “Group f/64.” ceramics also metaphorically represent his The group’s pro-technology members used ancestors from the Pueblo of Nambe, whose the camera’s smallest aperture to create un- village name translates to the words “earth’s manipulated, sharp-focused compositions of roundness.” abstract patterns of the physical world. They Akin to Lonnie Vigil’s spiritual partner- also preferred the tactile practice of making ship with the earth, Ansel Adams’ reverence contact prints from large-format negatives. for the earth also embodied the content of his American art photographer Alfred Stieglitz, art and the inspiration for his photography. Adams’ most revered infl uence, began exper- Adams saw the unity of all things in nature imenting with straight photography as early and believed that nature’s expressions could as 1901. By 1907, Stieglitz hailed straight be manifested in art. As such, the essential photography to be the most honest way of materiality of Adams’ photographs resulted depicting life through an abstract art form. from the artist’s optical selections of physi- Interestingly, by concurrently championing cal sites, which translated into light marks straight photography and pushing for critical within the negative and abstract earth pat- acceptance of the painterly photographs by terns within the gelatin silver print. In es- his own “Photo-Secession” group, Stieglitz sence, Adams fused three artistic principles solidifi ed his canonical authority and interna- into his mature photographic visualizations: tionally elevated vernacular American pho- the spiritual, Romanticist landscape or view tography to legitimate art status. Stieglitz’s tradition, modernist abstraction, and the solidifi cation of photography’s “art” status straight photography tradition. also manifested in his magazine, Camera As a “Western School,” American pho- Work, where he showed Strand’s straight tographer, Adams applied straight photogra- photography in 1916 and 1917. In essence, phy principles to his Romantic, yet modern Stieglitz, Strand, and Adams shared the per- portrayals of the lyrical planes and patterns spective that the purity of straight photogra- of abstracted landscapes. By producing phy’s aesthetics revealed intense truth, mean- straight, un-manipulated photographs of ing, and beauty through the formal properties transcendental landscape scenes from 1930 of line, texture, and tonality. onwards, Adams’ practice most closely par- Originally, Adams trained to be a concert alleled that of nineteenth century British pho- pianist, and through his musical practice, he tographer, Peter Henry Emerson. During the learned the abstract qualities of “architec- years 1882 to 1889, Emerson’s practice of tural” depth and fi neness. Adams’ acute un- straight photography was based on creating derstanding of musical aesthetics gave way “truthful,” naturalistic photographs of rural to his lifelong career of creating transcenden- landscapes, which rendered the intense for- tal landscape photographs which proponed mal details and spiritual qualities of the earth the tradition of portraying the sanctity of the to viewers. Emerson’s work opened a space earth, albeit with a modernist approach to de- for twentieth century artists, like Adams, to tail. In 1927 prior to Adams’ straight pho- re-present the mechanical medium as art in its tography practice, the artist’s fi rst successful own formal terms. After meeting American visualization, Monolith, The Face of the Half modernist photographer Paul Strand in 1930, Dome, revealed the granite’s intricate texture Adams committed to producing “honest” and range of tonalities as a result of the artist’s straight photography which intuitively de- use of sharp-focus and a red fi lter. This print scribed both his sublime connection to the was featured in Adams’ debut photo-book, 24 Michelle Janine Lanteri Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras, which formally describe the earth’s spiritual power was sponsored by the artist’s fi rst patron, in his artworks, Adams adopted Stieglitz’s Albert Bender. Proving to be a lifelong sup- philosophy of “equivalents,” where physical porter of Adams and in an effort to expand entities, like the earth, embodied such subjec- the artist’s career, Bender promoted Adams’ tive qualities as emotions. This ideal was vi- creative photography to his wealthy friends tal to Adams’ mature style, and it manifested and notably introduced the artist to Stieglitz’s in 1940 in the artist’s technical development wife, American modernist painter Georgia of the “zone system.” This system allowed O’Keefe, during a visit to Taos and Santa Fe, Adams to predict the tonal values within each New Mexico. photograph while working on-site. Adams Following meeting O’Keefe in the late used this innovation, a signifi cant technical 1920s, Adams persistently courted Stieglitz, contribution to the art of photography, to vi- whose legendary modern art gallery, “291,” sually communicate the complexity of the had exhibited vernacular photography along- landscape as well as his deep spirituality to- side avant-garde painting and sculpture dur- wards the earth. ing the years 1908 to 1917. In 1933, Adams Refl ecting his deep love for the Yosemite visited Stieglitz’s An American Place gal- Mountains and affi nity for the American lery in New York City and presented his landscape, Adams’ reverent connection to the straight photography to the iconic owner, earth visibly manifested in the content and who granted him a solo exhibition three materiality of his photographs. Likewise, years later. Adams’ exhibition at Stieglitz’s Vigil grounds himself in a sacred, sublime gallery in 1936 marked the artist’s offi cial relationship with the land by creating mica- acceptance into the modern art arena and ceous clay artworks that literally and spiri- expanded his position to an international tually embody the earth’s materiality. Vigil level. Beginning in 1937, Adams merged his told me, “It’s more than a literal thought or “Group f/64” style with his mature mode of action [to make art]; I go to a different place evocative, intimate landscape extractions. In when I work.” In essence, Vigil’s abstract 1938, Stieglitz dubbed Adams’ photography micaceous ceramics and Adams’ photo- as “perfect.” graphic landscape extractions metaphorically From 1930 until the end of his life, Adams evoke their transcendental relationships with created transcendental expressions of the the land and spiritualistic approach to making landscape’s formal properties through the earth-formed art. truth-telling lens of straight photography. In a formal comparison of Lonnie Vigil’s Throughout his artistic journey, Adams con- Neckless Jar with Fire Clouds (Fig. 1), tinued to nourish his spiritual relationship made in the late 1980s, and Ansel Adams’ with the earth through phenomenological Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National rituals, namely his hiking pilgrimages into Monument, California (Fig. 2), printed in the mountains. Through these repeated, cel- 1948 and 1980, the properties of line, light, ebratory acts, he habitually experienced new and mass visually correspond between the views of the sacred landscape. Adams’ physi- artists’ compositions. In Neckless Jar with cal engagements with the earth reinforced his Fire Clouds, the sloping contours of the clay practice of experiencing discovery and natu- correspond to the contouring folds of Adams’ ral awe and infusing these feelings into his sand dunes. Additionally, the curvilinear photographs. To encourage viewers to expe- bands at Neckless Jar’s base correspond to rience an intimate view of the earth, Adams the ribbons of linear indentations in the fore- compositionally eliminated the distance be- ground of Sand Dunes. In both works, linear tween the landscape and the viewer and of- contours and colonies guide the viewer and fered a personalized, close-up view of the defi ne the materiality, or formal structures, of earth’s materiality. Moreover, in an effort to the compositions. In terms of light, Vigil and 25 Explorations | Art and Humanities Adams employ a vast spectrum of tonalities 1990s, and Adams’ El Capitan Fall, Yosemite to add depth and dimension to their works. National Park, California (Fig. 6), printed in The all-over radiance of Vigil’s Jar offers 1981, cloud masses are the predominant, vi- senses of stability and vitality while the ves- sual characteristic in both works. In Jar, fi re sel’s extending gray fi re clouds evoke a sense clouds accentuate the curvature of the ves- of expansiveness. In a reverse mode, Adams’ sel’s neck and correspond to the clouds that refl ective planes of sky and sand dunes evoke rest atop the mountain peaks of El Capitan vitality and stand in contrast to the dunes’ Fall. In both cases, the artists simultaneously dark planes and peaks which connote stabil- reference the sky as a source of elemental en- ity. Both artists’ works offer viewers intimate ergy and emphasize the angular earth forms experiences of nature’s formal expressions in that defi ne the upper portions of their compo- terms of elemental properties. sitions. In addition, in Vigil’s work the spo- In a formal comparison between Vigil’s radic fi re cloud markings parallel the moun- Jar (Fig. 3), made in 1995, and Adams’ Old tains’ erratic, linear fi ssures in Adams’ work. Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, These areas connote sensibilities of change Wyoming (Fig. 4), printed in 1981, the slant- and growth and allude to the eternal variance ing fi re clouds in Vigil’s Jar echo the diago- of earth’s elementals. The overall roundness nal geyser stream of Adams’ composition. of Vigil’s work also refl ects the mountains’ These directional guides promote explora- concave interior in Adams’ work. These vi- tion through both works’ earth-based forms. sual elements suggest the notions of circu- In Vigil’s Jar, the contrast between the dark larity and reciprocity and refl ect the artists’ fi re clouds and the bronze, micaceous clay practices of earth-formed art. In addition, connote the complexity of nature’s moods. the presence of light in both works allows Likewise, in Adams’ reverse use of light, the viewers to closely examine the physical ma- white condensation of the geyser juxtaposed teriality of Jar and El Capitan Fall. The lumi- with the dark earth and sky emulate the emo- nescence in Vigil’s work intrinsically exists tive moods of nature. Vigil’s Jar embodies a within the mica-rich clay, while in Adams’ vertical form made up of horizontal coils and work, the illumination of the mountains a globular base. Similarly, Adams juxtaposes comes from sunlight. Through their compo- the horizontality and curvature of the land- sitional designs, both artists honor the earth scape with the geyser’s vertical stream. This as the ultimate source of energy and present embodiment of cardinal directionality refl ects viewers with visual embodiments of human- both artists’ awareness and acceptance of the ity’s respectful co-existence and intercon- earth as their art’s driving force. In terms of nectedness with the earth. light, the imprinted triangles and all-over lu- Through informed examinations of the art- minous clay of Vigil’s Jar communicate in- ists’ initial moments of professional accep- fi nite movement and vitality. Similarly, the tance, contemporary contexts, spiritual con- angled peaks of glowing condensation in nections to the earth, and formal aesthetics, Adams’ Old Faithful Geyser evoke senses of it is clear that Lonnie Vigil and Ansel Adams’ infi nite motion and energy. These indicators artworks yield defi nitive positions under the of movement refer to the earth as the source boundless label of earth-formed art. Vigil’s of energy and existence. elemental ceramics, made of micaceous Lastly, the isolated fi re cloud at the waist clay, and Adams’ earth-patterned photo- of Vigil’s Jar corresponds to the isolated graphs, formed in gelatin silver, communi- cloud in the bottom left edge of Adams’ Old cate multifarious visual metaphors referenc- Faithful Geyser. While these clouds evoke in- ing the earth’s sacred landscape and honor dependence, they remain bound to the earth. their lifelong, reverent partnerships with the In a fi nal comparison between another of earth. Moreover, through gestural abstract Vigil’s works entitled Jar (Fig. 5), made in the designs and emotive formal properties, the 26 Michelle Janine Lanteri artists emphasize the strength and variability earth patterns and spiritual metaphors found of the earth’s elementals and offer homage in Vigil’s micaceous ceramics and Adams’ and gratitude to the land for its eternal, life- straight photography communicate both art- giving energy. As earth-based artists, Vigil ists’ transcendental approach to making art. and Adams offer an expansive portal for the Thus, these commonalities between the art- global arts community at large to intimately ists inspire a collective unity between their experience the earth’s materiality through the earth-formed artworks and invite a bound- artists’ transmuted abstractions. In turn, these less, collegial dialogue of earth-formed art works characteristically ask viewers to form across culture, media, location, decade, and a bond with the earth’s vital energy and trans- century. formative nature. Conclusively, the abstract 27 Explorations | Art and Humanities Fig. 1 - Lonnie Vigil, Neckless Jar with Fire Clouds, micaceous earthenware, 13” x 15.5625” x 15.5625,” ca. late 1980s. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. Fig. 2 - Ansel Adams, Sand Dunes, Sunrise, Death Valley National Monument California, gelatin silver print, 18” x 14.25,” 1948, 1980. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. 28 Michelle Janine Lanteri Fig. 3 - Lonnie Vigil, Jar, micaceous earthenware, 10.625” x 10.1875” x 9.625,” 1995. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. Fig. 4 - Ansel Adams, Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, gelatin silver print, 20.75” x 13.5,” 1981. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. 29 Explorations | Art and Humanities Fig. 5 – Lonnie Vigil, Jar, micaceous earthenware, 8.25” x 10” x 33.8,” ca. Fig. 6 - Ansel Adams, El 1990s. Collection of The Mint Capitan Fall, Yosemite Museum, Charlotte, North National Park, California, Carolina. gelatin silver print, 10.75” x 13.75,” 1981. Collection of The Mint Museum, Charlotte, North Carolina. 30