Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson facts for kids
Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson are famous Native American Indian artists. They are well-known for their unique jewelry. Their art blends modern styles with ancient designs. They use many different kinds of stones in their work.
Contents
Early Lives and Learning
About Gail Bird
Gail Bird was born in 1949. Her birthplace was Oakland, California. Her father was from Santo Domingo Pueblo. Her mother was from Laguna Pueblo. Gail's father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Her mother worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Gail and Yazzie Johnson knew each other since they were kids. After high school, Gail studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She also went to the University of Colorado Boulder.
About Yazzie Johnson
Yazzie Johnson was born in 1946. He was born in Winslow, Arizona. His father was from Leupp, Arizona. His mother was from Sanostee, New Mexico. Both of his parents were from the Navajo Nation. They both worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Yazzie met Gail Bird there when he was fourteen. A teacher named Dooley D. Shorty inspired him. Shorty was a silversmith. He was also a Navajo Code Talker in World War II. Johnson joined the U. S. Army in 1966. He served in Germany and Vietnam. He also studied at the University of California, Berkeley. Later, he attended the University of Colorado Boulder.
Their Unique Jewelry Art
Gail Bird and Yazzie Johnson have known each other for a long time. They started working together in 1972. They design and create jewelry as a team.
They use unusual stones in their art. These stones often look like landscapes. They also combine materials in new ways. For example, they might use pearls, opals, and even dinosaur bone.
Many people know them for their special belts. They have made these themed belts every year since 1979. These belts are for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) Santa Fe Indian Market. Besides belts, they also make beautiful earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces. Their work is shown in galleries and museums.
In 1981, they won a big award. They received "Best of Show" at the Santa Fe Indian Market for one of their belts. They are part of a group of artists. These artists honor old traditions. But they also create new designs. They push the limits of art.
Gail and Yazzie know a lot about different materials. They are very skilled at making jewelry. They also have a great sense of design. They believe their jewelry is very traditional. But they take traditions further. They use more types of stones than usual. The symbols and stories in their pieces are also new versions of old ones.
Martha Hopkins Lanman Struever is an art dealer. She wrote a book about Southwest Native American art. She held the first art show for Bird and Johnson. This was in Chicago in 1978. Struever says their jewelry is special. Their pieces are often striking. They are also always easy to wear.
They find stones with unique colors and patterns. They also use pearls of different shapes. Then they put them together in new ways. This creates their unique style. Gail and Yazzie have visited ancient sites. They saw old drawings and carvings there. These ancient designs have given them much inspiration. Over more than thirty years, their work has grown. It is always changing and always unique to them. The photos of Bird and Johnson in this article were taken by Ms. Struever. She took them at the Santa Fe Indian Market in 1979.
More recently, they have become famous for their necklaces. These necklaces often have designs on the back of the stones. These designs are special symbols. They are made just for the person who will wear the necklace. They use a special technique called "underlay." This idea came from Charles Loloma. He used stone inlay designs on the inside of rings and bracelets.
The artists live and work in northern New Mexico.
Where to See Their Art
The jewelry of Bird and Johnson is in many museums. You can find their work in the British Museum. It is also in the Museum of Arts and Design. The National Museum of Scotland has their pieces. The Smithsonian Institution also collects their art.
In 2022, the Heard Museum bought a very large piece. It is one of the most complex pieces they have ever made. It is called All Things Hopi Belt. This belt was made in 2005. It was made for Martha Hopkins Lanman Struever. She studies Hopi art and culture. The buckle of the belt has a Hopi design. It shows a hand with a bracelet. This refers to Struever’s love for jewelry. The belt is made of silver. It has 18k gold designs. It is decorated with Yowah opals, coral, and turquoise. It also has petrified pinecone and different jaspers and agates.
In 2007, a book was written about their jewelry. It is called “Shared Images: The Innovative Jewelry of Yazzie Johnson and Gail Bird.”
