I was walking in the “Arts of the Americas” gallery when I stumbled upon this piece. It is a ceramic sculpture titled Making Babies for the Indian Market, created by artist Roxanne Swentzell. At first glance, I was intrigued by the children surrounding the figure: what were they doing? Why were they there? After reading the description, I learned the answers to these questions as well as the deeper meaning behind the sculpture as a whole. In this piece, we see a black pot atop the sitting Pueblo woman’s head. This was intended to give the audience the impression that making pots and making babies are of equal value, and that the Native Americans themselves were treated poorly and seen as a commodity by non-natives. Analyzing the artwork for the second time, I was able to see the message that Swentzell was trying to project. (Also, I discovered that the face of the Pueblo woman is that of Roxanne Swentzell!)
