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Steve was born and raised on the Six Nations Reserve. He belongs to the turtle clan of the Mohawk nation. His parents were Oliver and Elda Smith. Oliver Smith who was an elementary school teacher and principal, instilled in his students a sense of pride for their native culture and history and language. The O.M. Smith School on Six Nations is a dedication of his many contributions. Elda Smith excelled artistically with a strong desire to preserve native art and crafts and devoted her life to researching, experimenting and teaching her native culture. Iroquois pottery had become a lost art to the Iroquois people for at least two hundred years due to European influence and their metal cooking ware. Elda took regular pottery classes and began the arduous task of researching the history of Iroquois pottery. She studied from books and libraries, from museum pieces and dug for old pottery shards. After years of experimentation, she developed a traditional style of Iroquois pottery using modern techniques such as an electric wheel and electric kiln. Oliver and Elda named their studio "Mohawk Pottery" and it has become a part of Iroquois history. The highlight of Elda's career was when the Canadian Government asked her to present a piece of her own creation to Her Majesty the Queen in 1969 in recognition for efforts in reviving a 3000‑year‑old tradition of Iroquois pottery. As a teenager, Steve worked in his parent's pottery studio. After completing high school, he worked at the high steel trade and married. A labor strike gave him the opportunity to return to pottery making under the helpful guidance of his mother and Italian artisan Mr. Rinaldo Shennelly. Steve began to experiment with a variety of clays using different decorating and firing techniques. He soon developed a unique style of pottery of which he has become well know. Steve has created his own method of smoke firing pieces to produce a black ancient appearance to his traditional works. His interest in Japanese raku pottery has resulted in a beautiful blend of raku and native pottery. Steve's award-winning pottery has been featured in a TV Ontario Special and Global TV, along with many newspaper articles. Steve has gained a wealth of knowledge about his native heritage and their distinctive worldview in which he preserves on his pottery therefore the name, "Talking Earth Pottery." In 1977, Steve was an honored guest at the Silver Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen in a "Tribute to Young Canadians Who Have Achieved Excellence in the Arts and Science." His artwork is found in museums, galleries, corporations and private collections throughout the world. Steve enjoys stone carving and has created several beautiful alabaster sculptures. He also sculpts with deer and moose antlers and many of his pottery pieces are adorned with his bone carvings. He attempts to reach new heights to his creations through constant experimentation and the deep exploration of the earth. TECHNIQUE The white clay is translucent porcelain, the finest and most expensive of all clays. The colours are slips (liquid clay) with natural mineral colourants. Every colour has two to four layers, each layer being burnished (polished). So on one piece there can be 10 to 20 fine layers of clay. They are a blending of sgraffito and carving. |
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