ILLUSTRATION by SERGE BLOCH

Patricia Sannit creates Earth-inspired ceramics

Northern New Mexico’s tradition of Spanish Colonial tinwork was born in the creative crucible of necessity. With limited access to materials and goods in pre-railroad days, ingenuity and craftsmanship stepped in to provide citizens with household items such as tin candleholders, mirrors and wall sconces, as well as crosses and other religious items. In the mid-1800s, artisans produced these objects by unrolling and reusing metal from large tin containers that carried food over the Santa Fe Trail, explains tin artist Fred Ray López.

López, 46, remembers seeing old tinwork around Santa Fe when he was a boy, although he didn’t try his hand at the craft until later. Growing up, he was more interested in other forms of art—painting, ceramics and woodworking among them—with the encouragement of his mother, a painter. Still, he found himself increasingly drawn to his Spanish Colonial heritage, inspired in part by the fact that his aunt took part in the annual Spanish Market as a traditional colcha embroidery artist.

Photography by DANIEL NADELBACH Fred Ray López’s original tin man, approximately 20" tall

In his late 20s, López began carefully studying old northern New Mexico tinwork in museums. He apprenticed with third-generation tin artist Angelina Delgado, and soon was making his own mark in the field, quickly earning top awards at Spanish Market and other regional exhibitions. In 1991, he opened Fred López Tin Works, a shop and studio space in downtown Santa Fe where he has introduced countless visitors to New Mexico’s popular tinwork tradition.
 
López creates a range of items in tin and also works in brass, copper, silver and gold. Among his most requested pieces are frames, mirrors, chandeliers, lamps, sconces, chests and free-standing nichos for holding candles and religious figures. He frequently is commissioned by Santa Fe hotels and also does custom work, including cabinet door panels, for residences.

“He is truly a master of a disappearing art form,” remarks Larry Jennings, who with his wife Lynné has collected López’s tinwork for their Santa Fe and Prescott, Arizona, homes. Bud Redding, director of Spanish Market (produced by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society in Santa Fe), agrees. “Since his first Spanish Market in 1990, Fred has faithfully followed his own muse, striking a fresh, innovative approach and influencing the resurgence in traditional tinwork.”