Sharing my items is a great way to learn about the Native story. My goal is to meet and connect with you in a way that promotes our mutual interest in beautiful objects created by those who came well before us.
One of my most favorite things to collect are old wood boxes. There is something about old, used wood that conveys a feeling of warmth and human use that is so satisfying. As well, boxes are so functional with their capacity to store things. Nothing is better than an early New Mexican wood box storing […]
Click HERE to see the article for the show LAND FORMS, The Paintings of Robert R. Compton on the website of Southwest Contemporary. LAND FORMS opens at the James Compton Gallery September 13, 2024 and goes through September 29, 2024. The opening on Sept 13 is from 5 PM to 8 PM. The gallery will […]
The James Compton Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of Land Forms, the paintings of Robert R. Compton from September 13 to September 29. The artist, Robert R. Compton (1922– 2015) was a world-renowned field geologist who from an early age enjoyed the Great Outdoors and developed a passion for art, teaching himself how […]
The Discovery of an Unusual Navajo Dress Panel I acquired an unusual single Navajo dress panel last week and I want to share it with you. It is unusual in the variegations of the red yarns, the types of bayeta used, and the crenulations woven on the sides of the upper and lower segments. For […]
Tips For New Collectors Collecting objects that you find beautiful, mysterious, or unusual is a great way to explore the human condition. The story can unfold from any perspective, but for me it’s all about blankets of the Southwest. Blankets, that give warmth, protection and an immediate sense of home, are the ideal expression for […]
Who Are The Hopi? The Hopi people are centered on a reservation in Arizona that measures about 2,532 square miles. The 2010 sense has the population at 19,338. They live in the Southwest where they have been for eons. The word “Hopi” is defined as “behaving one, one who is mannered, civilized, peaceable, polite, who […]
A Wedge Weave Blanket I visited the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, NM the other day. I viewed the exhibit Horizons: Weaving Between the Lines with Dine Textiles. This is a small and amazing exhibit of Navajo weavings from early 19th century up to present times. The Navajos […]
This Rio Grande blanket is one of the most beautiful examples I’ve had the fortune of finding. It’s early, it’s simple, it’s complex and it speaks to my aesthetic in the world of exceptional blankets. Let me speak briefly here about the qualities that make this the case. It is woven of only two colors; […]
Prehistoric Pueblo Shell Ornamentation Shells have been used for well over 2000 years in the Southwest by the ancient ones continuing up to modern Pueblo days. The early agricultural period (1200 B.C. to A.D. 150) saw the simplest use of shells by puncturing holes and stringing them on hide or hemp. These are shells that, […]
Showing Blankets With A Shoulder Mount I have three, rare blankets up on my wall at the gallery and all three are hanging off of a shoulder mount. I love the effect these mounts give to the blankets. Blankets are typically shown as 2-dimensional art and while this can be a very fulfilling way to […]
