Beth Cavener Stichter | sculpture
“I choose clay to be the raw visceral material for my work, because its roots are wrapped around my past. I have always linked the materiality of flesh and the memory of it with clay. It has an incredible sensitivity to touch. Not only is the inert nature of the material alluring with its ties to the primitive and raw, but its voice spans a wide range of sensual, violent, and careless textural possibilities. It is intimately tied to our natural surroundings, cultural history, and a direct record of my physical presence. Every intimacy with the material is preserved." — Beth Cavener Stichter
"There are primitive animal instincts lurking in our own depths, waiting for the chance to slide past a conscious moment. The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and articulated through animal and human forms. On the surface, these figures are simply feral and domestic individuals suspended in a moment of tension. Beneath the surface they embody the impacts of aggression, territorial desires, isolation, and pack mentality…" Continue reading Beth’s Artistic Statement.
Object Lesson: Apathy
stoneware, black porcelain slip, glass tank, water, steel
tank: 30 x 22 x 30 inches 2003
Object Lesson: Dissension
stoneware, rope, block and tackle, barrel
goat: 45 x 24 x 36 inches 2003
Study for Self-Doubt
stoneware, yellow porcelain slip
24 x 16 x 8 inches 2004
The Inquisitors
stoneware, green porcelain slip, barn-wood crates constructed from found materials around the Archie Bray Foundation
figures: 65 x 80 x 28 inches 2004
One Last Word
stoneware, lavender gray porcelain slip cast iron gear from the Archie Bray Foundation Brickyard
24 x 28 x 18 inches 2005
Megrim
stoneware, antique wooden and iron yoke, rope, forged iron rings, pulleys, rusted steel stand
goat: 30 x 45 x 18 inches 2005
Remember Me
stoneware, antique brass hook
11 x 10 x 5 inches 2006
Study for "Hare Leaping Over Nothing"
stoneware, rope, antique bronze hook
34 x 11 x 29 inches 2008
Humiliation by Design
stoneware, steel, cast iron gears, rope
the handle to the right turns the cast iron gears, slowly rotating the figure on the center shaft
figure: 38 x 58 x 21 inches mechanism: 82 x 83 x 52 inches 2009
Your Eyes Have Their Silence
stoneware, sticks, whiskers
13 x 12 x 8 inches 2009
A Rush of Blood to the Head
stoneware
figures: 71 x 56 x 18 inches w/ pedestal: 80 x 72 x 41 inches 2009
Triomphe
stoneware, leather belt, antique bronze sleigh bells
(wall piece) 22 x 42 x 16 inches 2009
Is it me?
stoneware
(wall piece) 36 x 44 x 12 inches 2009
Husk
stoneware, wooden box
34 x 19 x 13 inches 2009
A Second Kind of Loneliness
stoneware, paper pinwheel, internal mechanical breathing device
every 8 seconds, a breath is released from the goat’s mouth, causing the pinwheel to spin slowly
figure: 64 x 107 x 22 inches w/ pinwheel: 64 x 117 x 22 inches 2009
Render
stoneware, wooden peg
21 x 18 x 8 inches 2009
Bolt
stoneware, cast iron bolt
32 x 11 x 6 inches 2009
Study For Hare in a Net
Tipping Point
porcelain, hemp net
Tipping Point: antique brass nautical scales edition of 8
individual hare: 24 x 20 x 8 inches 2009
The Sanguine (The Four Humors)
stoneware, mixed media
52 x 31 x 19 inches 2010
The Melancholic (The Four Humors)
stoneware, mixed media
77 x 14 x 19 inches 2010
The Choleric (The Four Humors)
stoneware, mixed media
45 x 45 x 11 inches 2010
The Phlegmatic (The Four Humors)
stoneware, mixed media
75 x 30 x 17 inches 2010
Bloom
stoneware, vintage handmade lace
installation: 144 x 144 x 12 inches 2010
Anywhere but Here
stoneware, antique iron hook, dyed rope, wooden wall pedestal
41 x 24 x 9 inches 2010
Study for a Netted Hare (Lavender)
lavender porcelain, antique hook, dyed rope
14 x 7 x 8 inches 2010
The White Hind (The Bride)
stoneware based, mixed media sculpture
68 x 50 x 18 inches
The Adoration (from Van Eyck)
stoneware based, mixed media sculpture
168 x 36 x 16 inches
Study for The Adoration (from Van Eyck)
stoneware based, mixed media sculpture
40 x 14 x 24 inches
The Question That Devours
stoneware
64 x 35 x 25 inches
The Sentimental Question
stoneware with Ceramic Glaze
50 x 35 x 17 inches
L'Amante
stoneware with ceramic glaze
45 x 60 x 44 inches
In Bocca al Lupo
stoneware based, mixed media sculpture
56 x 84 x 24 inches
Visit Beth Cavener Stichter’s website for more work and a look into her materials & techniques.
Images from claireoliver.com and followtheblackrabbit.com
