One of the most innovative and compelling jewelers of this period was Dan Simplicio. In certain ways he was traditional -- hand-making his own decorative bezels, wire and sheet from ingot silver bars. He is however also credited with being the first to use branch uncut coral nuggets and branches in his pieces. His distinctive silver applied leaves and stamped silver drops became hallmarks of his style. His stone work included carving as well as mosaic and channel inlay. The resulting works were expressive and highly original, paving the way for a modernist movement in Native American silversmithing well into the later 20th Century.
Simplicio, along with many nearby Navajo and Zuni jewelers, worked primarily for trader Charles Garrett Wallace at the Zuni trading post in New Mexico. Artists such as Leo Poblano, Juan de Dios (Simplicio’s uncle), Leekya Deyuse, Teddie Weahkee, Frank Vacit and Frank Dishta like traded materials, tools and ideas with Simplicio and among each other -- a synergy Wallace and other traders encouraged by providing the artists with a steady marketplace and exemplary materials.
Many public and online museum displays of Simplicio’s work are available for further viewing: The Heard Museum, Phoenix; The Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe; The Albuquerque Museum; The Kennedy Collection of Ohio University.
For more information, contact us at info@saksgalleries.com or 303.333.4144.
