In The Press

Virgil Ortiz debuts a new chapter from his Revolt 1680/2180 Saga

The year is 2180. The Recon Watchmen, time-traveling warriors, scour the desert in full combat gear. Their mission: safeguarding the past, present, and future of the New Mexico Pueblos.

In the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness of New Mexico, Cochiti artist Virgil Ortiz brings his “Recon Watchmen” characters to life as part of his ongoing saga about the 1680 Pueblo Revolt and preserving the culture of his people.

Ortiz’s latest symbol of Pueblo history and resilience stands tall at the entrance of the Inn and Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Foreseer, a larger-than-life clay bust of Po’pay, leader of the Pueblo Revolt, is ever-present — a silent watchman amid the comings and goings of travelers and other visitors.

It has never been easy to be an artisan in America. That was true when the United States was a new nation, and it is true today. In some ways, the challenges have not even changed that much. Yes, we seem to live our lives on permanent fast forward these days, with boundless opportunities for immediate gratification and distraction. Information and resources are more accessible than ever before. What used to be “mysteries of the trade” are now floating out there on YouTube. The most specialized tools and materials can be ordered for next-day delivery. Yet it still takes long years to achieve mastery in a craft. The difficulty of getting wood, leather, clay, fabric, stone or glass to do what you want remains the same. And the business side of earning a livelihood with your hands, day in, day out, is as demanding as ever.

Over the years Virgil Ortiz has built an iconic company with aesthetics that carry through multiple endeavors including pottery, prints, home decor, and fashion design. Celebrities are among his customers and models, and major museums such as the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Paris’s Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, and the National Museum of the American Indian have collected his work. Recently he created a silver outfit based on his Aeronauts characters for singer Nona Hendryx. His company’s branding and his individual artwork frequently employ a black-and-white scheme with reoccurring visuals such as corsets, boots, PVC, and body painting. “I’m goth for life!” jokes the artist, now in his early 50s. With his consistently bold aesthetics and subject matter, Ortiz carved a space for himself in the Native art scene of the Southwest and the art world at large.

If you Google “the first revolution in America,” you’ll get more than five million results for the American Revolution, the one in which Anglo colonists sought independence from the British Crown.

BEHIND VIRGIL ORTIZ’S FANTASTICAL VISION △

In January 2020, Virgil Ortiz spent a week at Tamarind Institute, a leading lithography studio where he created the three prints as part of his Revolt 1680/2180 series. In the storyline, time-travelers move between the historic Pueblo Revolt of 1680 when the Pueblos of New Mexico banded together to overthrow the Spanish conquistadores to the futuristic revolt of 2180 against the violent Castilian invaders who destroyed the lands of the Puebloans and subjugated the people who lived there. Ortiz’s narrative portrays the fearless visionary of the Pueblo Revolt time-traveling forward 500 years—Po’Pay, the historic organizer of the revolt and spiritual leader from Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Ortiz also created characters within his storyline: Tahu, the leader of the Blind Archers, and her twin brother, Kootz; the Watchmen, time travelers in spiky armor; Dorn , Magnate of the East Realm Rez Spine Watchmen who protect the earth from attacks by the Castilian army; the Aeronauts, who summon the fleet in preparation for battle; and the Runners who relay messages and organize the revolts.