103 East Plaza, Suite B Taos, New Mexico | +1 (575) 224 - 6911
Open Tuesday-Saturday 12-7pm (Thursday closing at 5pm)
or by appointment
Yáá'át'ééh - welcome
The Michael Gorman Gallery is the most authentic place for all things GORMAN! It is the only gallery where you will find the unique and beautiful works of 3 generations of the world renowned Gorman family under one roof.
In 1968, when Michael's Uncle, R.C. Gorman, opened the Navajo Gallery on Taos' on historic Ledoux Street, it was the first ever Native-American owned fine art gallery in the world. While many galleries across the country still bear the Gorman name, they are not associated with the Gorman family. When the Michael Gorman Gallery opened in 2018, it quickly gained attention as the only place to find authentic, original works from all members of the Gorman family.
In addition to hosting the artworks by Michael Gorman and the Gorman family, Michael works closely with local and visiting Native American and non-Native artists to offer a rotating selection of works.
The Gallery is located on the east side of the Historic Taos Plaza, and is easy walking from restaurants & hotels, in the heart of Taos.
Coming from such an artistic family, Michael Gorman has been creating since he could hold a brush. Encouraged by his grandfather from a young age to explore his creative talent, Gorman has explored painting, ceramic, sculpture, photography, silversmithing, glass etching, and printmaking. Today Gorman primarily focuses his attention in ceramic vessels and sculpture, but with the free-spirit of an artist, he continues to work in multiple mediums.
The Gorman Tradition
Who is Michael Gorman?
Michael Gorman is the latest generation of the famous Gorman family to continue a five-generation tradition of beautiful and award winning art in a unique and breath-taking style that is best described as distinctly ''Gorman''!
Generations of Artists
From his great-great-grandfather, Béésh łigaii ‘ííłíní ‘ałts’óózigi, who was “at one time considered one of the best, if not the best silversmith [among the Navajo].” to his grandfather, Carl N. Gorman - Kin-Yionny Beyeh, who was one of the First Twenty-Nine Navajo Code Talkers of World War II and a well established artist in his own right to R.C. Gorman - 'The Picasso of American Indian Art', his uncle who opened the very first Native American owned fine-art gallery in 1968, the Gorman family has a long and proud tradition.
Gallery News
Rare Tile Mosaic by Carl N. Gorman |Kin-Yionny Beyeh Comes to the Gallery
A rare mosaic table by Carl N. Gorman, father of R.C. Gorman, is on display and available for purchase at the Michael Gorman Gallery in Taos, New Mexico. The mosaic consists of 3,120 individually set ceramic tiles. The artwork is based on traditional Navajo ceremonial art and was Carl's inspiration for his design of the Navajo Code Talker Logo.
Michael Gorman Works
Bronze & Ceramic Sculpture
Gorman's sculptural work has grown an international clientele - from Chinle to Senegal - and has garnered many awards.
”I use implied-lines to draw the viewer into my work. My forms are inspired by my roots on the Navajo Nation, in Northern Arizona. I chose ceramic for my forms because it comes from the earth. It lends itself to expression and once fired, becomes the only permanent man-made material. In beauty it is begun and in beauty it is ended.”
In the clay-rich mud near his home in Fort Defiance, Arizona, like many children, Gorman played - creating shapes and figures from the mud and letting them bake in the sun. Horses, human figures and small pots - formed in a child's hand - stay nestled in the roots and rocks of the Reservation landscape until nature reclaimed them. None of these figures survive today, but now with the help of a kiln and fire or immortalized in bronze Gorman’s work stands the test of time.
Cheii - Navajo Grandfather
Cheii” is a timeless representation of Navajo pride, resilience, and gentleness. It is my first bronze work. It depicts a Navajo man draped in a chief's blanket and wearing a tattered work-worn hat. His hair is tied in a traditional tsii'yéeł [Navajo Bun]. A blanket hugs his shoulders and curves up on the left, framing his face in profile. As you rotate the sculpture, his feeling and mood shift. In Navajo we have two words for grandfather: Cheii - one’s maternal-grandfather and Nalí - one’s paternal-grandfather. My Navajo heritage and upbringing comes from Shicheii - my grandfather. He was dibé łizhiin, born for Kinyionny. He was a Navajo Code Talker and a primary force in my life and in my art - though this is not a direct representation of him. If you look closely at his face, you can see two ages: a young man looking forward and an old man with a lifetime of memories. I want this piece to convey the timelessness of our existence as Navajo People: on the one hand, a generation leaving and at the same time a new generation, moving forward. “Cheii” incorporates this and 3 other elements to tell his story: the blanket, the hat and the traditional tsíeł. These combine to show that our traditions and lifestyle not only survive but are alive and changing with the times. The blanket is representative of our encounter with the Spanish. Spider Woman and Changing Woman brought weaving to the Navajo. When the Spanish came, they brought Iberian sheep which greatly influenced our weaving and from which the Navajo Churro sheep are descended. The pattern is of an early Chief’s Blanket, a turning point in Navajo weaving. The hat represents our encounters with the United States and our current status as US citizens since the treaty of 1868. As the United States expanded west, the reservations were formed. The American Cowboy hat replaced that of the Mexican Gaucho and is commonplace. The tsii'yeeł is the traditional hair style of Navajo men and women. Boarding schools forced us to cut our hair. Today, many serve in the US military and cut their hair, but many grow it back in later years. If not their hair, they wear turquoise or silver - protection. In this way they keep a connection to our traditions.
Homage to Spiderwoman & Navajo Weavers
Navajo blankets are among the most recognized in the world. The blanket is a provider of warmth, comfort and protection, in a literal and metaphorical sense. The folds of the family, like the folds of the blanket, offer these things. As a matrilineal society, the Navajo Mother, Aunt (Ama Yazhi/Little-Mother), and Grandmother (Ama Sani/Old-Mother) play a central role in the family and are the keepers of weaving. Weaving has long sustained the Navajo. Providing an essential utilitarian item for the family, these items have also provided a source of economic stability for the Navajo. This sculpture is based on the story of Spiderwoman, one of the Holy-People, who taught the Navajo how to weave. She is said to live atop Spider Rock in Canyon De Chelly in northern Arizona. The beauty of Canyon De Chelly is breath-taking. When you walk along the red clay floor of the canyon, you can see the sandstone walls shoot up high above you. The minerals pulled from the walls when it rains provide an ancient patina. Gorman’s sculptural work is 4-dimensional. The patina and texture of the inner walls reflect the origins of Navajo Weaving. From inside the sculpture, Spiderwoman looks down through the canyon. As you look from outside the sculpture, a motherly figure, with her gentle face and open arms, welcomes you into the folds of the warmth, comfort and protection of the blanket. While based in Navajo tradition, this work transcends across cultures to everyone who can remember or longs for a mother’s embrace.
Gorman Sketch Cups
Bright-satin red, deep glossy black and natural creamy white clay are the canvases for the Gorman Sketch Cups. Not to be limited to one form, the Sketch Cup series include plates, platters, and bowls. Each unique piece is hand-made by Gorman in Taos, then each sketch is added using under-glaze pencils to mimic the appearance of graphite on paper.
Raku Vessels
A beautiful melding of southwestern forms with eastern firing techniques, Michael Gorman's Raku-Fired vessels create an air of elegance, timelessness, and beauty. His early works (c. 1999-2004) focus on the form: purposeful strong angles meeting smooth-elegant curves. You'll also see an influence of burnishing techniques from this period.
Begining in 2014, Gorman experiment with decorating techniques, mixing the traditional stone burnishing with modern glazing to create his dash series. The dash series also incorporates multi-glazing techniques and wax-resist to achieve the final look.
Photography
From 1999-2008 Gorman shot exclusively with black and white film. His silverprint photos won awards from the Sedona Fine Arts Festival, and were published in Silent Voices Of World War II, The Sedona Red Rock News, and were the center pieces of his first one-man show at the Red Rock State Park's inaugural show at their gallery space in 2002.
In 2009 Michael Gorman made the switch to digital photography while living in Melbourne Australia. The next several years were spent honing his skills. In 2018 Michael was hired to shoot some campaign photos for Deb Haaland who was elected to New Mexico's District 2 Representative seat in the US Congress. He was then hired by In These Times to shoot photos for an article spread and the cover photo for their February 2019 issue. When Rep. Haaland was appointed as the first Native American Secretary of the Interior, Gorman was hired by Melanie Stansbury's campaign for special election for the vacant seat (which she won).
Michael continues his pursuit of photography. Shooting mostly macro-photography in the area around his home in Taos, New Mexico. He also shot a number of Navajo weddings (as a Navajo, he understands the sacredness of the ceremony and could work with the family and medicine-man to document the ceremony). As a long-time member of Civil Air Patrol, Gorman also donates his time and skills at CAP events and - as an aerial photographer - on search and rescue or disaster relief missions.
