Covid Sculpture
I started these sculptures in Feb of 2020. The last one came out of the oven in aug of 2020. Normally I go to art and craft markets where I sell mostly functional ceramic ware. because of covid most of the markets were canceled. so i thought i would spend more time doing sculptures. I purchased a cd done by Melissa Cadel (sculpting in clay). I really enjoyed the cd, and what i learned in that cd was part of what inspired this set of sculptures.
I fire to 1220° C, the inside of my kiln is 70 cm tall. these sculptures are all around 2 ft tall.
This was the final sculpture of this series to come out of the oven. I first made a model of what I was planning on making. The small photo at the top is the first model sculpture i made. I was sort of going for an: “earth mother or venus figure” . I also was liked the negative space between the head and arms in this figure. The larger sculpture did not stay very true to form of the first sculpture. She looks more modern and powerful to me yet her hands are bound. Nor does the sculpture look so feminine. The Black Lives Matter protests were going on while I was making this sculpture, plus all the gender issues that were brought out while Trump was president. The final structure is rather ambiguous as to gender or race. Powerful yet struggling.
Homeschooling
This one i call “home schooling”. I think most who had to endure homeschooling agree that it was not fun. I think enduring is a better word than participating, because it seemed to be something we all had to get through. I had respect for teachers before, but dealing with one flea (our daughter) made me wonder how they can deal with 20. just trying to keep her attention on her school work was exhausting. I made a small model first. The model is sitting on top of the desk of the final figure.
Initially I was envisioning a “Come Hither” expression. That is not how I would describe the final expression. The coloring on the torso comes from different clays I was using.
Initially i was going for an expression for covid again. A person asking for divine intervention, or exasperation and throwing her hands up.
Her hands are very unfinished, more like rectangular blocks rather than fingers. Perhaps god is not done making her yet. I experimented with a different way (for me) in making hair. In this series hair has been troublesome; breaking, shrinking, cracking. But i think the hair is adding a lot of commentary. This hair sort of puts me in mind of snakes. She also has what could be a baby bump. so all this combined: a woman that is not completed, snakes, hands up to god, baby bump… perhaps eve or Lilith.
Party Girl or The road goes on forever but the party never ends
Someone who is still partying hard and doesn’t realize the other people have moved on. She’s been in quarantine too long. I read where someone said the shutdown was like vegas: No one knows what time it is, we’re losing money by the minute and drinks are ok at anytime
Industrial Green Man
I plan on doing several figures in this theme. The green man getting hanging out in a polluted forest, sporting tattoos and piercings.
Waiting
Perhaps a lover from a long ago time, looking out to sea for a lover who is long overdue.
What can you do?
I realized her thumbs were facing the wrong way, before I fired the first time. so i could have changed it. but i chose not too. I was thinking of different expressions that people might have due to the covid situation. This one was sort of. “what can you do?” or “it is what it is”; “it’s out of my hands”.
