Terra-cotta

These photos were taken at what used to be my very favorite place.  It was a large outdoor studio where they made pre-Columbian replicas–huge pieces fired in three colossal wood-fired kilns.

Some of the one-of-a-kind pieces were handmade by a doctor who preferred sculpture to the scalpel.  He had become a doctor for his father, but his heart was in the clay studio. His pieces were amazing and much more expensive than the other pieces which were lovely but mass-produced.  Luckily, I had the good sense to purchase several of his as well as dozens of their other pieces.

The last time I went back, the place was closed.  A huge locked gate was as far as we could get.  These pictures were of their refuse pile–pieces that had blown apart in the kiln that they had not yet reassembled and painted.  I used to beg them to sell me pieces from this pile, which I loved. It felt like my own archeological expedition.  Sometimes they did!

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