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Clay Feats and Printed Sheets

Betty Woodman does it all for the Mizel Arts Center.

A A A Comments By Michael Paglia Thursday, Feb 3 2000

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"A Roman Interior," by Betty Woodman, color woodcut.

"Pillow Pot," by Betty Woodman, glazed ceramic.

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Near this print is an untitled, wall-mounted ceramic sculpture from the late 1980s. It is formed of three parts: a bracket, a vase, and a slab-built bouquet. This is an odd form that converts the vase into an entire still life, but it's not the only unusual thing in the show. In the back corner is "Mussel Pot," from 1980-82, a glazed ceramic made of a tray joined to a deep bowl connected visually by large ribbon handles. Heading back to the front is another, "Pillow Pitcher," from 1980 to1982. Beyond that is "Stretch Pot," from 1979, a centerpiece similar in form to the "Mussel Pot."

Stylistically, Woodman's pots are both similar to and different from her prints. The ceramics refer to the history of clay, while the prints mostly refer back to the ceramics. Putting the two together, as Zalkind has done, makes for a revelation. Betty Woodman is one of the best of a raft of shows in the region, many already open, that are highlighting the art of ceramics, and regardless of Zalkind's intentions, it will surely attract many of those conferees from the NCECA.

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