Liz Quackenbush!

Mouse
terracotta, majolica, lusters and glass enamel (cone 04), 2005

At first glance, the artwork of Liz Quackenbush appears whimsical, playful and cosmic. An underlying theme of nature is inherent in her forms, which range from hand-built, frog sculptures, to colorful, floral plates and vases. As in the above Mouse, Quackenbush creates multidimensional forms, some functional and some not so functional, that are varied and dynamic and hold one's attention. According to Quackenbush, "the specific visual syntax that forms such a central part of my work is derived primarily from my own, very personal, experience of nature as an intimate part of daily life."

































Star Vase
terracotta, majolica, lusters and glass enamel (cone 04), 2007

Quackenbush's recent work is primarily made from terracotta, majolica, lusters and glass enamel (cone 04). Her choice of materials is very intentional and creates the conceptual narrative of her work. Quackenbush explains that she is inspired by work from "the medieval folk traditions of Europe and the Middle East, and the charm of 19th century Staffordshire porcelain." This is evident in the visually prominent gold luster on the Star Vase, layered on top of the majolica (which creates the whiteness of the form). The majolica is layered on the terracotta. Interestingly, her artworks are made to appear like porcelain, with light, refined qualities, but they are indeed terracotta.
While Quackenbush literally layers these materials, she is symbolically referencing the layering that exists in nature, specifically in ecosystems. She sends this theme home with the decorative content of flowers and animals.


Quackenbush plays with concepts of form and dimension, material, ornamentation, craftsmanship, tradition, and nature. It is the dynamic of her materials, technique, and forms that create beauty and intrigue in her pieces.



Dinner Plate
terracotta, majolica, lusters and glass enamel (cone 04), 2007


Quackenbush received her B.F.A. from CU in 1980. She went on to apprentice at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works in Doylestown, PA., before going on to earn her M.F.A. at the School for American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. She is currently a professor of art at Penn State, but she spends her summers in rural Vermont which "allowed me to produce more direct, less mediated interpretations of natural forms, and integrate this new knowledge back into the historically determined iconography of traditional ceramics that have informed my work for many years."

Liz Quackenbush, awesome ceramicist!
















http://artaxis.org/ceramics/quackenbush_liz/liz_quackenbush.htm