Betty Woodman (American, May 14, 1930 – January 2, 2018) was a talented ceramic artist who used her technical skills and eye for color to create unique objects and environments. Her work was described for her 2006 solo retrospective at The Metropolitan Museum, as “For Woodman, the vase can be a vessel, a metaphor, or an art-historical reference. Her work alludes to and infuses numerous sources, including Minoan and Egyptian art, Greek and Etruscan sculpture, Tang Dynasty works, majolica and Sèvres porcelain, Italian Baroque architecture, and the paintings of Picasso and Matisse.” (Metropolitan Museum Press release 2006).
As can be seen with the objects shown below, her objects often appear deceptively simple, but were in reality technically complex marriages of ceramic construction and glaze techniques. One of her unique shapes is what she called a Pillow Pitcher, comprised of two cylinders, attached at the middle and pinched together at the ends.
Pillow Pitcher, 1983, glazed earthenware, Smithsonian American Art Museum.
The Ming Sisters, 2003, Glazed earthenware, epoxy resin, lacquer and paint. Metropolitan Museum.
Water Tray, 1978, white earthenware, Metropolitan Museum.