Betty A. Gerich
Visions In Clay 2022
Website:
www.bettygerich.com
https://www.instagram.com/bettygerichartist/
Biography:
My earliest memories involve making art as a child. My mother, who was also an artist, always encouraged me to experiment with materials and to draw. The summer of my freshman year in college, I attended an international school where I studied drawing in Nice, France. That experience convinced me that my passion for art would determine my path in life.
My education includes a BFA from the University of Connecticut, a Masters degree in art education from the University of Hartford and a sixth-year degree in the arts from Wesleyan University. As an undergraduate I studied ceramics, working with the chemistry of glazes and many different aspects of wheel work and hand building. In addition to firing an electric kiln, I have worked with many types of primitive firing including pit firing and raku. My sculpture has appeared in nine one-person exhibitions including an exhibition at New Britain Museum of American Art in Connecticut.
Artist Statement:
The human figure is always present in my sculpture, even when the work appears very abstract in form. When I create works out of clay, I’m interested in drawing the viewer around the piece in a swirl of implied motion. In the most recent work, several faces have begun to appear, each with a distinct personality. Textured surfaces make the viewer want to touch these sculptures. After firing in an electric kiln, the work is finished with an acrylic patina which highlights surface textures and enhances the form adding color to the completed piece.
The surface of the piece for Duet has been textured by pressing lace-like material into the leather-hard clay before firing. Surface color is an acrylic patina applied in layers to emphasize edges and bring out the form. The title, “Duet” was selected because the sculpture resembles two abstract figures wrapped around each other.
Duet
Slab-built raku clay fired in an electric kiln and finished with an acrylic patina
10”x 8”x 8”
2020
$900