By Bonnie Gangelhoff
New Mexico sculptor Gregg Analla is part of a new wave of Native American artists who blend the past with unique contemporary visions. For example, Analla explains that when he was growing up he spent weekends visiting his grandparents at the Laguna and Isleta pueblos. From them he learned about his culture and traditions. But at the same time he was also developing a love of science fiction. Today, both the old and the new are huge influences on his bronze, alabaster, and wood sculptures. “My artworks are a surreal vision of the entities who make up my culture without sacrificing the integrity or sacredness of our customs,” Analla says. His sole mission is to create art that reflects the “special struggles of the modern-day Native American visionary.”
This August Analla was invited to show his work at the prestigious Sculpture in the Park show in Loveland, CO. “I was 10 yards away from artists I have admired for years,” he says of the experience. When he isn’t cutting, chiseling, and hammering, Analla is raising money for humanitarian causes such as the Indian Foundation Touring Group, which helps Native families in need. For more information about Analla visit his web site, www.parrotsun.com.
Featured in “Artists to Watch” November 2003