Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank – Empty Bowl 2013
Auction Ends: Apr 17, 2013 04:00 PM CDT

Art

Liz James, Nested Bowls

Item Number
107
Estimated Value
350 USD
Sold
395 USD to lindyberger
Number of Bids
9  -  Bid History

Item Description

14" w, 6" h

Item Special Note

In Liz's words, "In the wide-open spaces of the Northwest, I grew up observing the patterns of landscape and cycles of Nature that have always informed my work.  I love the elemental qualities of clay, the tactile and responsive nature of this earth from which my art is created.  Clay allows me to continually explore the balance between the natural world and my life in it.  It has allowed me to travel, to teach, and to constantly challenge myself as a person and as an artist.

After 20 years as a professional potter, I returned to school to expand my creative vision and earn my MFA in ceramics from Kansas State University.  I have exhibited widely, taught workshops, and instructed at the university level.  In 2007 I was privileged to travel to Scotland where I was visiting instructor at the Glasgow School of Art & Design.  Currently I am an assistant professor at University of Minnesota, Duluth teaching what I love, ceramics.

Whether creating functional or sculptural clay art, I enjoy choosing firing techniques that best suit the individual pieces.  Currently, my forms are multiple assemblages that combine contrasting clay bodies, glazes and surfaces that, while not direct representations of my environment, are elements or essences borrowed from it. I introduce materials that typically would not be found in clay to create textures that represent nature and juxtapose the biomorphic organic forms with porcelain vessels that signify our human condition. Sensuous surfaces, muted colors, and fluid forms create a quiet relationship meant to entice the audience both visually and physically.

Clay is my medium and my teacher, my vision and my voice.  As I shape it, I too am shaped.  My art reflects my world and my place in it."