author
Clark Field
1882–1971
A journalist turned collector, he devoted decades to documenting Native American basketry and pottery with unusual care. His writing grew out of a lifelong belief that these works deserved to be seen as great art, not just artifacts.
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About the author
Born in Dallas in 1882, Clark Field later became known in Tulsa for his deep interest in Native American art. The University of New Mexico describes him as a journalist who developed a serious interest in Indian pottery and basketry in 1918, then spent years photographing and recording his collection in detail, noting tribal and language group, makers when known, materials, size, and weave.
That careful approach helped make his collection especially important. In 1936, a large part of it was placed on long-term loan at what is now the Philbrook Museum of Art, and it eventually became known as the Clark Field Collection. His book The Art and the Romance of Indian Basketry reflects both his eye for design and his effort to introduce a wider public to the artistry of Native basket makers.
Field died in 1971. Today, his legacy lives on not only through the baskets and pottery he preserved, but also through the archive and library that bear his name at the University of New Mexico, where his years of notes, photographs, and research still support the study of Native art and material culture.