Betty Woodman

This multi-part ceramic wall relief belongs to an extended series of works that Woodman began in the early 1990s. Each Balustrade Relief Vase consists of a central vessel that rests on a shelf and is surrounded by a number of additional cutout elements that imply the edge of a rectangle or define the space of a painting. The open space between and around the clay parts is as important to the composition as the physical components themselves. The vase combines both flat and volumetric sections, so that its functionality is simultaneously revealed and camouflaged, a phenomenon that is furthered by the application of vibrant colors and forms to its surfaces. If one looks closely, it is possible to see spiral markings on all of the ceramic parts. They are evidence of the process of throwing on a potter’s wheel, the method by which all of Woodman’s works are made.