Prelude 11
21" x 7" x 7"
terra cotta, terra sigillata, travertine
Working in clay for over 40 years, these figures emerge when I play in my studio in winter when it is too cold to carve marble outdoors. In 2015 I began using the white terra sigillata and pigments (mason stains) and layering very thin layers to make the pieces appear aged. That year I was also inspired by revisiting the Tanagra terra cotta figurines at the Corcoran Museum. These ancient Greek figures also inspired Isadora Duncan and the choreography Preludes, 24 dances to the music of Chopin. These dances have been carried down in her lineage and performed by my close friends and collaborators Ingrid Zimmer and Cynthia Word in several of my exhibitions. see Blog Anima Mundi and Taking Wing.