Items Similar to Reimagining the Divine as You. Large Carved Porcelain Vase
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21
Alex HodgeReimagining the Divine as You. Large Carved Porcelain Vase2014
2014
About the Item
This vessel is a part of the series Unsung Muses and references art historical imagery such as Botticelli’s Venus, the Minoan Snake Goddess, Hera, and the Three Muses. To make the historically idealized women more reflective of real women, I have drawn them curvy, trans and of various races. My hope is that one may see themselves reflected in art, as the Divine, instead of seeing what they should be.
Unsung Muses is a group of large-scale vessels, wall pieces, and small sculptures which comprised a solo exhibition at the University of Georgia's School of Art in October 2015. The works were accompanied by an excerpt from an Adrienne Rich poem titled "Transcendental Etude." The excerpt reads: "But in fact we were always like this, rootless, dismembered: knowing it makes the difference. Birth stripped our birthright from us, tore us from a woman, from women, from ourselves so early on and the whole chorus throbbing at our ears like midges, told us nothing, nothing of origins, nothing we needed to know, nothing that could re-member us."
Alex Hodge is an artist-ceramist primarily interested in creating work that juxtaposes the canon of Western art with the lived experiences of contemporary women. As a queer woman growing up in the rural south, she became familiar with the feeling of being on the periphery, spending her youth wandering the woods, collecting material for small sculptures and creating stories for herself.
Alex Hodge grew up on a blueberry farm in South Georgia where she learned the value of cultivating the earth. Currently based in Miami, Florida, Hodge focuses on prioritizing women’s narratives in all aspects of her work. Her poetic porcelain objects examine and reimagine the history of art in a way that values women, not only in body, but in wholeness, power, and love. By combining sculptural and drawn elements, such as carved and painted patterns, her works create a dialogue between space and line, form and surface for a dynamic viewing experience. Often limiting her color palette to black and white, she uses the carving technique called sgraffito to incise her pieces with drawings, her own text, and pattern. Focusing on the narrative qualities of art-making, Hodge weaves stories into the clay which are both personal and universal. Through the decorative and symbolic details, she hints at narratives without completing them to invite the viewer to participate in creating meaning. The women she invents exist in the present but are of the imagined future in which we all have room to flourish, tell our stories, give and receive love, and express the beauty and pain of the human condition. Fundamentally, her artworks are a celebration of the tenacity and vulnerability of women and clay, an interplay of history and hope.
About the Seller
4.9
Recognized Seller
These prestigious sellers are industry leaders and represent the highest echelon for item quality and design.
Established in 2000
1stDibs seller since 2016
258 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: 6 hours
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Adel, Georgia
- Return Policy
Authenticity Guarantee
In the unlikely event there’s an issue with an item’s authenticity, contact us within 1 year for a full refund. DetailsMoney-Back Guarantee
If your item is not as described, is damaged in transit, or does not arrive, contact us within 7 days for a full refund. Details24-Hour Cancellation
You have a 24-hour grace period in which to reconsider your purchase, with no questions asked.Vetted Professional Sellers
Our world-class sellers must adhere to strict standards for service and quality, maintaining the integrity of our listings.Price-Match Guarantee
If you find that a seller listed the same item for a lower price elsewhere, we’ll match it.Trusted Global Delivery
Our best-in-class carrier network provides specialized shipping options worldwide, including custom delivery.More From This Seller
View AllTribute to Astarte and Her Spirit of Tenacity. Large Carved Porcelain Vase
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This vessel is part of the Unsung Muses series, and it illustrates various versions of the Goddess Astarte in juxtaposition with rows of pattern and text. The text on the body of the...
Category
2010s Other Art Style Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Paint
History Lesson Power Is Always Taken. Hand Carved Large Porcelain Vase
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This vessel is one of the first from the series of pots Unsung Muses and prioritizes the narrative of Hatshepsut, as she was perhaps the most successful female pharaoh of Egypt. She brought prosperity and peace to Egypt through her work to improve infrastructure and trade routes. Her success was so great that her male successors attempted to erase her from history by literally chiseling her image off the walls and attempting to destroy all statues of her. By honoring her existence in this large vessel, I center the narrative of women’s power...
Category
2010s Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Paint
Who Washes the Feet of Mary Magdalene. Sculpture made in Porcelain, hand-painted
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This piece recalls the art historical depictions of Mary Magdalene. Though she is often contextualized as the one who washed Jesus’s feet, Hodge centers her as the subject and asks “Who takes care of her?”. She answers with the scene of another woman washing her feet, which speaks to the ways that women’s care for one another is often unseen.
The three series that make up her thesis show all center around the woman as an art historical trope who becomes a contemporary archetype of tenderness and tenacity with her own narrative. The tradition of the woman as muse or object is questioned and turned upside down as she gives her women the position of subject, i.e., the position of power. The jars, which uphold pairs of women, are the ultimate overturn of male dominance as she removes and replaces all male characters from famous artworks with women...
Category
2010s Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Gold
Olympia.Porcelain Sculpture with hand-painted details
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This piece recalls Manet’s painting of the same name. While Manet sought to confront the viewer with Olympia’s gaze, as she was a known sex worker, Hodge’s ...
Category
2010s Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Gold
Untitled #10 Female antique Bust painted and adorned. Infortunios De La Virtud
By Armando de la Garza
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Untitled #10 (female bust), 2016
from Los Infortunios De La Virtud series
Antique porcelain bust with the intervention of oil, gold, silver, lea...
Category
Mid-19th Century Romantic Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Stone, Gold
Supporting Perspective and Curled Girl Portrait. Porcelain Wall sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The portraits, loaded with symbolic imagery, gaze out at the viewer, with a variety of intensities and emotions. This is to say, each woman has a story, which may not be directly evi...
Category
2010s Other Art Style Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay
You May Also Like
Untitled
By Danielle Weigandt
Located in Kansas City, MO
“Untitled”
2018-2019
Porcelain, Paper Clay
Cone 6
Size: 23 in. x 34.25 in.
Danielle Weigandt explores the construct of events in time and their role in our lives. Time cannot be see...
Category
2010s Contemporary Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Clay, Porcelain
Price Upon Request
"Another Connection", Abstract Figurative Ceramic Sculpture with Colorful Glaze
By SunKoo Yuh
Located in St. Louis, MO
The ceramic sculptures of SunKoo Yuh are composed of tight groupings of various forms including plants, animals, fish, and human figures. While Korean art, Buddhism, and Confucian be...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Glaze
"Be My Guest", Figurative Porcelain Sculpture, Dynamic Composition, Glaze
By SunKoo Yuh
Located in St. Louis, MO
The ceramic sculptures of SunKoo Yuh are composed of tight groupings of various forms including plants, animals, fish, and human figures. While Korean art, Buddhism, and Confucian be...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Glaze
"Year of the Monkey", Figurative Porcelain Sculpture with Colorful Glaze
By SunKoo Yuh
Located in St. Louis, MO
The ceramic sculptures of SunKoo Yuh are composed of tight groupings of various forms including plants, animals, fish, and human figures. While Korean art, Buddhism, and Confucian be...
Category
2010s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Glaze
"New Year's Greeting", Figurative Porcelain Sculpture with Dynamic Composition
By SunKoo Yuh
Located in St. Louis, MO
The ceramic sculptures of SunKoo Yuh are composed of tight groupings of various forms including plants, animals, fish, and human figures. While Korean art, Buddhism, and Confucian be...
Category
Early 2000s Contemporary Figurative Sculptures
Materials
Ceramic, Clay, Porcelain, Glaze
Abstracted Nude Couple Figurative Relief
By Joe Funk
Located in Soquel, CA
Clay relief of abstracted nude couple by California artist Joe Funk (American, 1918-1981). Monogram signature on individual reliefs and signed on verso. included with photograph and description in his catalog. Catalog with photos of sculpture, and artist biography are included. Ceramics: each 7.25"H x 3.25"W. Overall Size: 10.50"H x 14"W x 5.75"D
Joe Funk was an American artist and print maker born in Los Angeles, California, to Polish and German immigrant parents. He died in 1981 in Santa Cruz, California.
As a young person in Los Angeles, Joe Funk showed an interest in art. He studied at the Otis and Chouinard Art Institutes and worked on several murals throughout Los Angeles in the Works Progress Administration. He served in the United States Army, from 1943 to 1946, in Korea and Okinawa a s a heavy anti-aircraft artillery mechanic and instructor, warehouseman, and artist, publicist, and graphic designer for special events at Headquarters Company, Asiatic Command. At the ASCOM University in Korea, he was an instructor in pencil sketching. It was during his time in Korea that he developed a lifelong interest in Asian art. Using the G.I. Bill, after the Korean War, he earned a Masters Degree in fine art from the University of Southern California.
In the 1950s, Joe met Lynton Kistler and worked at Kistler’s facility in Los Angeles, the only lithographic press open for business on the west coast at that time. During his time as an apprentice, Joe printed for many well-known artists, such as Jean Charlot, man Ray, Max Ernst, Emerson Woelffer and June Wayne.
When June Wayne opened the Tamarind Lighography Workshop in Los Angeles in 1960, she offered the status of fellow printer to Joe Funk. At Tamarind, he began work printing lithographs for guest artists and training future printmakers.
After Tamarind, Joe became the technical director at Kanthos Press from 1961-1962, where he printed for Jose Cuevasand and Aubrey Schwartz. In 1964, he became co-owner of Joseph Press and was printmaker for Sam Francis, Arnold Belkin and Rico Lebrun. From 1962-1964, Joe taught at the Chouinart Art Institute.
Joe established a non-profit corporation in Venice, California in the late 1960s, called Joseph Graphics. Here, he trained apprentice printmakers and printed for numerous artists including Joyce Treiman...
Category
Mid-20th Century Pop Art Abstract Sculptures
Materials
Oil, Clay, Fiberboard
$700 Sale Price
20% Off