Betty Woodman: Floral Vase and Shadow
Introduction
Betty Woodman is one of the world’s acknowledged ceramic artists. She was born in 1930 in Norwalk, USA .She attained her education from American Craftsmen’s school and later at Alfred University which is situated in New York. She got married to her husband, George Woodman in 1953. Betty has worked at Colorado University where she has taught fine arts (Hanessian, 21). She has two homes one in Mexico and another in Italy where she lives at different times of the year. It is important to note that she extensively involved in ceramics art where she has employed innovative ways of using color, space, shape and form to create impressive and appealing ceramic sculptures (Hanessian, 21). One of her most impressive work of art is “Floral Vase and Shadow” which will entirely be discussed in this brief overview.
Description and Analysis
The Floral Vase and Shadow forms the many ceramics arts of Betty Woodman. This work of art was accomplished in 1983. The piece of art is made of earthenware and measures 69 cm in height. It is worth noting that this particular ceramic is both functional and on the other hand it is a recreational. The artwork is in form of a vessel and it contains numerous shapes. Betty has wisely used the elements of art as well as principles of design in creating impressive artwork. This is visually evident in the Floral Vase and Shadow. The vase comprises of coupled or unitary shapes that are well integrated to form a structure .Betty pay tribute in space, form, shape and more importantly color which she has superlatively blended to create an impressive artwork (Hanessian, 22). This is well illustrated in the figure below
Figure 1.Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/28/arts/design/28wood.html
Notably the handles of the sculpture are extensions of the vase and are of repeated shapes. Behind the vase is a colorful shadow, the reflection of the original vase. The vase is conspicuously positioned on a colorful block
The sculpture makes use of color in a more intriguing way. A blend of four colors has been used to create impact to the viewer as well facilitate realism (Sayre, 52). As clear as it is from the above image, the color blend helps in bringing out the theme of the artwork. It is well painted with green, black and some shades of yellow color which clearly illustrates the functionality of the sculpture (Sayre, 52). Betty has also utilized space which she has created for the shadow. It is quite interesting to see how the object and shadow suitably match. The principles of design have been used which have absolutely helped in constructing the value of the sculpture (Sayre, 52)
The sculpture has made use of shapes, space colors and value which helped in promoting the feeling of visual correspondence which subsequently forms the balance of the masterpiece. Harmony is also enhanced through the shapes and prominence created through repeated shapes of the handle as well as the application of color. Color and texture, which is evidently smooth and shinny, have been used to create an impressive background of the sculpture. The blend of color, shape, form and space also facilitates a superlative visual flow. Additionally; the piece of art has lines and gazes which help in creating a space in the vase for imagery and patterning purpose
Interpretation
Betty Woodman ceramics work of art invokes and at the same time challenges the conventional components of a vase in the sense that the vase has symbolically turned to be the flowers which are normally put on it. This is because of its decorative aspect which makes flowers unnecessary. Floral Vase and Shadow is intriguing and exceptional due to the unconventional shapes which have created a gap between craft and fine art. The vase is both functional as well as a piece of art. Visually, the vase and shadow stresses on the impacts of paints. It gives an implication that painting is an essential tool in work of art. This is because it enhances the masterpiece through making it to look impressive to the viewer which a key requirement of art. The way the vase is painted demonstrates creativity. The strokes of yellow, black and green shows the value and the purpose of the sculpture. The vase is symbolic of difference between craft and fine art. Notably, the vase performs two different tasks, it holds and it pours. This shows that craft and fine art should be differentiated. The decorative aspect highlighted in the vase tries to create a disparity between the outer implication of vase as a theme and the conventional significance of the vase a structure
Woodman Floral Vase and Shadow has influence on contemporary artists especially those in the ceramics field. Hanessian, states that “vessel has been celebrated over time and, in this exhibition, it culminated in the natural talent, innovation and longevity of Woodman’s legacy in the field of ceramic art” (Hanessian, 21).
Conclusion
Betty Woodman is one of the most celebrated ceramics artists. Her work of art is intriguing, educative as well informative. She has use the Floral Vase and Shadow as a communication tool to highlight the differences between craft and fine art work. Betty has extensively used color, space, shapes and form in creating a captivating piece of work. The elements of art and principles of design have also been used to enhance the meaning of the “Floral Vase and Shadow’. Evidently, Betty Woodman has greatly influence contemporary art as well as artists
Work Cited
Betty Woodman Biography. Retrieved April 24, 2011, from
http://www.franklloyd.com/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=37
Henri M. Sayre. A world of Art. Upper Saddle River: NJ: Prentice Hall, 2007 retrieved April 24, 2011 from http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_sayre_worldart_5
Holly Hanessian. The art of Betty Woodman. Ceramics Monthly, 2006. Retrieved April 24, 2011 from http://www.hollyhanessian.com/bettywoodman.pdf
