Alison Brannen

"Magma", ceramic sculpture, porcelain vase, saggar, copper earth, burnt offering

2020

"Ocean Canyon" is a saggar-fired porcelain sculpture by Alison Brannen. It measures 13" high by 9" wide by 9" deep, however the sculpture can be arrange...

"Midnight Over Mountains" is a saggar-fired porcelain wall sculpture by Alison Brannen. It measures 15" high by 15" wide by 7" deep, however the sculptu...

"Spotted Blue Moon Jar" is a saggar-fired porcelain vessel by Alison Brannen. It measures 18" high by 15" wide. Inspired by her journeys sailing the Atl...

Vertical 7, a ceramic sculpture of wood-fired clay pigmented with oxides, is a work by New York artist Harold Wortsman. Vertical 7 was recently exhibited at "Harold Wortsman: Time and Space" at the Orange Art Foundation, February-March 2022, New York City. Note the blending of geometric and organic forms in this work – it is characteristic of his practice – warm, contemporary, uniquely crafted, yet speaks to ancient, primitive traditions of art-making that cross cultures and histories. Highly attuned to the art of Africa, the Middle East, India and Asia, his forms are organic abstracts with masculine and feminine attributes that resonate together as a pleasing enigma. They make sense immediately, yet never give up all their secrets. From Harold Wortsman – "With sculpture, my material of choice is high-fired clay. Pieces are first low-fired in an electric kiln. I do not use glazes. Instead, I use oxides applied to the bisqued (low-fired) clay. As with a tattoo, oxides permit the surface underneath to breathe. The work is then high-fired in a gas kiln with double reduction to cone 10. The final temperature is 2,300 degrees F. At a certain point, oxygen intake is reduced to the kiln. Because the fire has reached a critical mass, it needs oxygen and chemically takes it from the clay and the oxides. Like a jazz improvisation, each kiln load comes out slightly different." From Jonathan Goodman – "Wortsman has increasingly moved into his own – a place in which the relations between the abstractions of volume and the intimations of very old culture are merged in a way that is new." – Essay, "Harold Wortsman: Time and Space", Orange Art Foundation, February 2022, New York City. Harold Wortsman is a sculptor and printmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. He “creates forms that bring to mind archaic cult objects and exude a quiet concentrated strength.” (Argauer Zeitung, Switzerland). His work, an edgy mix of freedom and clarity, can be found in public and private collections in the US, including The Library of Congress, Yale University, The New York Public Library Print Collection, The New York Historical Society, Smith College, Indiana University’s Lilly Library, Brandeis University, The Newark Public Library Special Collections Division, and the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum Print Archive. Also in private and public collections in Europe, including the Municipal Collection of the City of Brugg, Switzerland. Harold studied at the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture, with sculptor George Spaventa...

Artist Statement by Rachelle Krieger: These new ceramic sculptural works are a reflection of biodiversity and vitality, capturing natural elements in various stages of life. During ...

The material of choice for Neil Tetkowski's abstract sculptural work comes directly from the Earth. Most often he uses clay, which he believes is the perfect medium to express his re...

Sara Fine-Wilsons ”Jagged” is a gestural 16 x 9.5 x 6 inch ceramic sculpture in shades of brown, white and cream. In this powerful and evocative sculpture individual slab and pinched...

Artist Statement by Rachelle Krieger: These new ceramic sculptural works are a reflection of biodiversity and vitality, capturing natural elements in various stages of life. During ...