Dolls & Idols: Ceramics and Felt

At the end of the summer, I fired some work in the Anagama kiln at Salem Art Works. Much of what I fired were limbs (arms and legs) about the size of a baby doll's. Since then, I've been felting bodies and adding beads and buttons. This is the beginning of a body of work exploring the relationship between idols and dolls.

The last piece (below) sits on a mat of felted wool and silk.

Teapot Designs

Deer

Creature

This work is a fusion of the ceramics work I did last year, and my current methods of illustration. It's part of a new body of work. The human limbs are Sculpy painted with acrylic, the body silk with a wire armature.

I'm working with ideas of hybrid animal/humans found in mythology around the world. We relate to the human aspects of such creatures, yet are distrusting of their bizarre combination; they are reviled or worshiped, sometimes both at the same time. The size of these new pieces is that of dolls and playthings, which raises questions over whether the piece is a doll or an idol. Though the stitches show and the methods of creation visible, the materials are rich (silk, gold thread, and gold beads).

Cat

Ceramic arms, legs, and head with blue-black sigilatta.  The tail is posable due to wire armature.  

Camel

Ceramic legs and head with burnished sigilatta.  Back zips open to reveal sewn junk food (pizza, ice cream, cake, hamburger, and doughnut). 

Treeman

Figure sculpted solid during two class sessions with a live model.  Hollowed out, given texture, and branches (which can be removed for easier transportation).  

This piece was glazed with the same glazes as the hand (Adrian Arleo glazes from the Lark figures book) but fired in oxidation.