'Journeys of Clay' at Norton explores legacy, context of Indigenous artist Rose B. Simpson

Rose B. Simpson hasn’t just worked doggedly to develop her sculpting skills — she was born with them.

Simpson, whose work is on display through Sept. 1 at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, is one in a long line of indigenous female artists.

The exhibition “Journeys of Clay” highlights the work of Simpson, a member of the Santa Clara Pueblo, along with that of her mother, Rozanne Swentzell, grandmother, Rina Swentzell, and her great-grandmother, Rose “Gia” Naranjo, bringing four generations of skillfully crafted creations from New Mexico to Florida’s Gold Coast.

In fact, the passion for creation goes back even farther — an estimated 70-generation matrilineal line of ceramic artists.

Simpson’s exhibition marks the ninth installment of the Norton’s Recognition of Art by Women, or RAW, program, and includes about 30 pieces, four of which are new.

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“I'm excited about ‘Journeys of Clay’ and the RAW residency because it is important to me to show the context surrounding my work; my great-grandma was a risk-taker, a trait that has been passed down for generations,” Simpson said. “My mom has pushed through so many boundaries, stereotypes, and expectations. These women have helped me to do the work that I’m able to; they have showed me how to be brave.”

A hardcover commemorative book that accompanies the exhibition and is available for $34.95 at the Norton includes essays from Simpson, her mother and grandmother, along with a piece by two members of the Norton’s curatorial team: Arden Sherman, the Glenn W. and Cornelia T. Bailey senior curator of contemporary art, and Pamela Solares, the Sophie Davis Fellow for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access.

The intergenerational connection was an important story that the Norton wanted to share through “Journeys of Clay,” Sherman said.

“That’s what Rose is saying in her work: That everything comes from a past, that we need to pay attention to our history and respect that,” she said.

Throughout Simpson’s work, there are references to ancestors, legacy and tradition, Sherman said.

“It’s a bit of a spiritual experience when you go into the setting,” she said of viewing the multigenerational exhibition.

Simpson’s ceramic technique is known as “slap-slab,” where clay is rolled into flat pieces that are put together to create a shape.

She incorporates other elements as well, including leather and steel, which create a striking effect in the many feminine forms she depicts.

That’s evidenced in the piece “Growing Pains,” where a figure seems split in two: The top half is clay, connected by steel rods to a base made with leather and twine, and affixed to a base that knew a previous life as a brake rotor.

The brake rotor is a call to another medium in which Simpson works: automotive.

While Artist-in-Residence at the Denver Art Museum in 2013, she also studied auto body repair at Northern New Mexico College. There she created "Maria," a black-on-black 1985 Chevrolet El Camino that she then brought to Denver to be part of a performance featuring indigenous people in post-apocalyptic garb also created by Simpson.

"Maria" continues to be part of Simpson's work, and a photo of the car is featured at "Journeys of Clay."

Another piece at Norton, “Two Selves,” is about 6 feet tall. The clay figure of an armless woman stands with her head held high, a clay child bound to her chest with twine, a makeshift belt weighed down with pieces of hide. The woman’s legs are held together by steel bars.

Reigniting RAW was one of Sherman’s priorities when she was hired by the Norton in 2022. As she and Norton’s team went through lists of potential artists for RAW, she recalled Simpson as one she’s watched, and Simpson’s name quickly appeared at the top of internal lists.

The decision was easy to make: Simpson was the right fit.

“She’s a new friend and one that I’m very happy I’ve gotten to know,” Sherman said.

While the Norton offered Simpson a residency in West Palm Beach, she declined, preferring to continue working at her studio in Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.

“She’s very, very committed to her home life,” Sherman said, adding that the clay with which Simpson works is harvested from her home state, so it’s important for her to work there. The commemorative book features a conversation between Simpson and her mother, led by their friend, mother, doula, poet and community organizer Beata Tsosie-Peña.

In it, Simpson and Swentzell discussed their connections and work.

“I’m excited about this exhibition because I don’t think people understand my context too much and I think it’s really important to share that,” Simpson said in the chat. “None of us exist in a void, including me.”

If you go

What: Rose B. Simpson: Journeys of Clay

Where: Norton Museum of Art, 1450 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach

When: Through Sept. 1, during museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; closed Tuesday

Information:norton.org, 561-832-5196

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: 'Journeys of Clay' at Norton explores legacy of artist Rose B. Simpson