(aka Jugo de Vegetales)

Artist Statement

My work has always been inspired by the art of ancient and aboriginal cultures. My first sculptures represented animal/human deities drawn from Egyptian mythology. Since then, my research has expanded to include religions and mythologies from India to Scandinavia, from Africa to New Guinea and from Alaska to Peru. I have found remarkable similarities in imagery and symbolism from all these cultures, which inform my own conscious and unconscious narratives.

The underlying meaning of mythology explains the cosmos and the origins and purpose of the peoples’ existence. Deeper investigation reveals their beliefs about the wheel of life or the passage of the life force. The genetic predisposition to illustrate idea as icon is seen in the incredible similarity of archetypal images from vastly different and isolated geographies.

The study of these mythologies reveals the essence of the characters which form my own pantheistic art. In avoiding an initial tendency to copy rather than invent, the animals, people and events, which surround me, feed into the unconscious soup from which my characters are ultimately drawn. Whether inspired by my wife, my dog, the swan at the lake or a book on Dogon art, the imagery I portray often feels archetypal to me, even in the absence of historic precedent.

EDUCATION:
1973 - M.F.A, Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
1970 - B.A., California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA

MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS:
2002 - Wustum Museum , Racine , WI
1999 - State Museum of Pennsylvania , Harrisburg , PA
1997 - Tullie House Museum , Carlisle , England
1996 - James A. Michener Museum, Doylestown , PA (also 1994)
1995 - Islip Art Museum , East Islip , NY (catalog)
1994 - Allentown Art Museum , Allentown , PA
1989 - Port of History Museum, Philadelphia , PA (catalog) (also 1985)
1987 - American Craft Museum , New York , NY (catalog)
1985 - Delaware Art Museum , Wilmington , DE
- Decorative Arts Museum , Little Rock , AR <
1983 - Museum of American Jewish History, Philadelphia , PA
- Campbell Museum , Camden , NJ
1982 - Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia , PA
- Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art, Loretto , PA
1981 - Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institute, Washington , DC

1980 - Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia , PA
1977 - Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach , CA

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS:
Betty Asher Collection, Los Angeles Co. Art Museum, Los Angeles , CA
John Michael Kohler Arts Center Museum , Sheboygan , WI
Mint Museum of Art , Charlotte , NC

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2005 - Reflections on the Zodiac, Projects Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
2004 - Recent Work, Kimmel Center , Philadelphia , PA
2003 - Numina, St. Joseph ’s University, Philadelphia , PA
2001 - Solo Show, Tysons II Corporate Center, Tysons Corner , VA
1999 - Transmigration, The Works Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1998 - Vision de Vida y Muerte, Casa de la Cultura, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
- Viaje Despues de la Vida, La Galeria, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
1996 - Unsaid, Pentimenti, Moore on Second and The Clay Studio galleries, Philadelphia , PA
1994 - Animal Love: Sacred or Profane, Jasuta Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1992 - Recent Work, Sande Webster Gallery , Philadelphia , PA
1991 - Alfareria Escultural, La Galeria, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
1985 - Transfigurations, Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1981 - Manifestations of Dog Moses, Renshaw Gallery, Linfield College , McMinnville , OR
1980 - Recent Work, Marian Locks Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1979 - Opens Friday, Moore College of Art , Philadelphia , PA
1978 - Dogs and Dogesses, Langman Gallery, Jenkintown , PA
1974 - Good Earth, Houston Hall Gallery, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2005 - Ice Box Project Space, Philadelphia , PA
- Snyderman Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- The Craft Alliance , St. Louis , MO
- Montage Gallery, Baltimore , MD
- Manna Benefit, Levy Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Peabody Essex Museum , Salem , MA
- Art Miami 2005, Miami , FL
- Hyder Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
2004 - Hyder Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Art At Large, New York , NY
- Bucks County Annual Sculpture Show, Doylestown , PA (since 1985)
- Levy Gallery, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia , PA (also 2003, 2002, 1992)
- The Clay Studio Gallery, Philadelphia , PA (also 2002)
2003 - Donna Beam Gallery, University of Nevada , Las Vegas , NV
- Ft. Mason Firehouse, San Francisco , CA (also 2002)
2002 - Long Beach Island Foundation, Loveladies , NJ
- Incubator Gallery , Kansas City, MO
2001 - Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore , MD
- Borowsky Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Craft Alliance , St. Louis , MO
- Gallery Camino Real, Boca Raton , FL
2000 - Washington Square , Washington , DC
- Foxglove Gallery, Stroudsburg , PA
1999 - Ferrine Gallery, Northampton , MA (also 1995)
- SOFA, New York, NY
1998 - La Galeria, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
1997 - Galeria Café la Selva, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
1996 - Abington Art Center , Jenkintown , PA
1995 - Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia , PA
1994 - University City Arts League, Philadelphia , PA
- Brenau College , Gainesville , GA (also 1992)
1993 - Helen Drutt Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Allegheny College , Meadville , PA
1992 - F.A.N. Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1991 - Garth Clark Gallery , New York , NY (also 1989, 1985, 1984)
1989 - Leedy Voulkos Gallery , Kansas City, MO (also 1987)
1989 - Garth Clark Gallery, Los Angeles , CA (also 1984)
- John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan , WI (also 1981)
1988 - Alan Stone Gallery , New York , NY
1987 - Trabia MacAfee Gallery , New York , NY
- Lehigh University , Bethlehem , PA
1986 - Bucks County Courthouse, Doylestown , PA
1985 - Ariel Gallery , New York , NY
- Missouri Botanical Gardens , St. Louis , MO
1984 - Detroit Gallery of Contemporary Crafts, Detroit , MI
- Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia , PA (also 1980)
1983 - Four Galleries, Philadelphia , PA
1982 - Alan Stone Gallery , New York , NY
- Sebastian Moore Gallery, Denver, CO
- Philadelphia Art Alliance , Philadelphia , PA
- Roger Lapelle Gallery, Philadelphia , PA (also 1981)
1981 - Fendrick Gallery , Washington , DC
- Nexus Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
1980 - Scripps College , Pomona , CA
1977 - Wallnuts Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Central Washington State University , Ellensburgh , WA
1976 - Rosenfeld Gallery, Philadelphia , PA
- Marietta College Crafts National, Marietta , OH (also 1975)
1974 - Fairtree Gallery , New York , NY
1973 - Ceramics International, Banff , Alberta , Canada

PUBLIC/PRIVATE COLLECTIONS:
Int’l Academy of Ceramics, Calgary , Alberta , Canada
Gillett Griffin, Faculty Curator of Pre-Columbian Art, Princeton University Museum , Princeton , NJ
Michael Monroe, Curator in Charge, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian Institute, Washington , DC
Lu and Alex Coburn, Tacoma, WA & San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Sanford Besser, Santa Fe , NM
Steve Alpert
Daniel Jacobs & Derek Mason, New York , NY
Marsha Moss, Philadelphia , PA
Marian Locks, Philadelphia , PA
Harvey Shipley Miller, Philadelphia , PA
Deborah Harry, New York , NY
Jay Cooper, Phoenix , AZ
Steve and Naomi Poses, Philadelphia , PA

GRANTS & AWARDS:
2000 & 1991 - First Place Award, Bucks County Sculpture Show, Doylestown , PA
1996-97 – Fulbright Scholar Award for Mexico
1989 - Purchase award, J.M. Kohler Art Center Museum
- First Place Award, Sculpture, Scenic River Arts Festival, Reading , PA
1987 - Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship (also 1983 & 1980)
1973 - Cash award and medal, International Academy of Ceramics, Calgary , Alberta , Canada

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
2005 - Figure in Clay, Contemporary Sculpting Techniques by Master Artists, Lark Books, Asheville , NC , 176p
2004 - The Sculpture Reference, Arthur Williams, Sculpture Book Publishing, 512p
2003 - 500 Figures in Clay, Veronika Gunter, Asheville , NC ; Lark Books*, 408p
- Sexpots, Eroticism in Ceramics , Paul Mathieu, New Brunswick , NJ ; Rutgers U. Press, 223p
2001 - The Artful Teapot, Garth Clark , New York ; Watson-Guptill Publications, 256p
2000 - Contemporary Ceramics, Susan Peterson, New York ; Watson-Guptill Publications, 176p
1999 - Working with Clay, Susan Peterson, Upper Saddle River , NJ ; Prentice Hall, 190p*
- The Craft and Art of Clay, Susan Peterson, Englewood Cliffs, NJ; Prentice Hall, 360p*
1995 - Hands in Clay, An Introduction to Ceramics, 3 rd ed., Charlotte F. Speight, Mountain View, CA; Mayfield Publishing Co., 490p
1992 - Sculpting Clay, Leon Nigrosh, Worcester , MA ; Davis Publications, Inc., 182p
1989 - Sculpture: Technique, Form and Content, Arthur Williams, Worcester , MA ; Davis Publications, Inc., 360p
- The Eccentric Teapot, Garth Clark , New York ; Abbeville Press, 120p
1986 - Craft Today: Poetry of the Physical, Paul Smith and Edward-Lucie Smith, New York ; Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 327p
1983 - Images in Clay Sculpture, Charlotte Speight, New York ; Hron and Rowe, 216p
1982 - Low Fire Ceramics, Susan Wechsler, New York ; Watson-Guptill Publications, 184p
1978 - Alternative Photographic Processes, Kent E. Wade, Dobbs Ferry , NY ; Morgan and Morgan, Inc., 179p

MAJOR EXHIBITION CATALOGS (International & National Exhibitions):
1989 - American Clay Artists 1989, The Post of History Museum , Philadelphia , PA : The Clay Studio
1985 - American Clay Artists 1985, The Post of History Museum , Philadelphia , PA : The Clay Studio
1981 - The Animal Image, Contemporary Objects and the Beast, Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC, Smithsonian Inst. Press
1973 - Ceramic Art of the World 1973, Banff , Alberta , Canada : The Rothmans of Pall Mall Canada, Ltd.