Betty Woodman
(American, 1930–2018)
Biography
Betty Woodman was a ceramic artist best known for her exuberantly colorful and inventive work which gained recognition in the early 1970s. She often worked with a deconstructed version of the traditional ceramic vessel, with her pieces ranging from massive site-specific murals to fragmentary columns and carpet-like floor pieces. “It makes good sense to use clay for pots, vases, pitchers, and platters, but I like to have things both ways,” the artist explained. “I make things that could be functional, but I really want them to be considered works of art.” In its use of color and pattern, Woodman’s early work can be seen as a reaction to the overwhelmingly austere Minimalist and Conceptual aesthetic prevalent at the time. Born on May 14, 1930 in Norwalk, CT, she studied art at Alfred University, and was notably the mother of the celebrated late photographer Francesca Woodman. Betty Woodman’s works can be found in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, among others. She died on January 3, 2018 at the age of 87.
Betty Woodman Artworks
.jpg "Winged vessel (7 works)")
.jpg "Menage (in 3 parts), 1980–1989")
.jpg "Rajastan remembered (3 works), 1988")
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