Marvelous Conjurations in Clay
Revealing the Secret Beauty Of Clay
A couple of years ago I thought of ceramics as tiles – floors, walls and ceilings – and ceramic artists were the marvelous Italian tile men that did the fabulous works in fine homes and commercial buildings in New York City – of which I had seen many during my forays into the construction industry as a member of the Society of Master Painters, Local 18 District Council 37 of the Brotherhood of Painters, Plasterers and Allied Trades.
Despite my acknowledged skill as a writer I often found myself laboring alongside my Blue Collar brethren after writing something that pissed an editor or publisher off and abruptly caused a parting of the ways. Since I thought virtually all of them were intellectual lightweights I was usually beating them down whenever fate would have us cross swords – Alas, I regard intellectual polemics as a blood sport and neither ask, nor give, any quarter.
As a result we often came to a parting of the ways and I returned to the construction business, where I got to see the greatest artisans in the world lay tile in fantastic color coded patterns, especially the Italians, who seemed to have passed their techniques down from Roman times. I thought I had witnessed the best of the achievement of ceramicists….and then I discovered Ceramic Sculpture! It was a revelation when I first saw the works of Susannah Israel, an internationally renowned ceramic Sculptor and Professor of Sculpture.
I would later learn that she was part of a venerable tradition of mud magicians who could fashion works of fine art from clay. This was all the more surprising since all of the sculptors that I knew in New York were into bronze and used clay only as a throwaway material employed to create models for the molds that produced the bronze sculptures. The works of Susannah and her colleague Michelle Gregor first captured my imagination and I composed multi-media photo essays on their works
Under the careful direction of Professor Israel, the Resident Artist Director of the budding Oakland Museum of Ceramics – which was the original vision of her late husband Bill Lassell, who sought to provide a permanent home for the many works of Susannah and her colleagues – I have been carefully documenting these works of art for a forthcoming multi-volume photo essay on the artists and their works. Since I find the fashioning of fine art from mud a splendid alchemy indeed, this has been a real labor of love. Here are some selected photographs of Susannah’s work from my forthcoming book “Molding Marvels from Clay.” Some of them will be displayed in a show here in New York this winter; the invitation has been extended to me and accepted. I will announce the time and place as soon as a firm date has been agreed upon. This is a Christmas card for art lovers designed to make your spirit dance!
****************
*************
Poseidon’s Daughter
A Freshly Fired Beauty…..
Still in the Kiln
The Marvel is….
….. Susannah Conjures the horse’s form and spirit from all perspectives
The Royals!
Standing Head and Shoulders above
Above the Common Lot
Their Nobility…..
Is Reflected….
In their Regal Bearing
Wisdom and Confidence is Projected
In their faces and body language
An Enchanted Place where Natural and Supernatural Creatures….
Commune with one Another
All Manner of Visual Alchemy is Conjured Here
Even Multi-Media Marvels
Like Horses flying through Fire Clouds
Stuff that Messes wit yo Mind!
Through Imaginative Multi-Media Minipulations….
We can make Clay horses flee New Guinea Ghosts!
Or Fly through Silver Clouds
Like Mythic Apparitions
Then Descend to Earth under the Omnipotent Gaze of Ceramic Idols
Landing with elegance of movement and figure
Sometimes they fly in the window to escape the storms
Anything can happen in the Sorcerer’s Workshop
They Even Run through Cosmic Fires
And Emerge Magically Unscathed!
Sometimes they just Cavort About
Racing through an enchanted Forest
The Intrepid Art Collector
Will discover many rare treasures
At the Oakland Museum of Ceramics!
A Tent of Aesthetic Miracles!
Where endless art treasures are fashioned from clay!
Even the Light is Magical
A Place where Light and Shadows play Hide and Seek
Kristopher Mandell: The Sorceress’ Apprentice
A budding Ceramic Artist
The Sorceress!
Sculptor Susannah Israel Chillin in a Contemplative Mood
Or Planning her Next Magic Show
Bill Lassell
The Visionary who Conceived the Oakland Museum of Ceramics
PhotographerPlaythell Benjamin
Photographed by Susannah Israel
*****************************