Frank Lloyd Gallery Four Women in Clay

Four Women in Clay: Elsa Rady, Toshiko Takaezu, Beatrice Wood, Betty Woodman

The Frank Lloyd Gallery is pleased to present an online exhibit of artworks by four well-known women in ceramic art. The artworks present the diversity of approaches to the medium by women formative in the development of post-war clay. Ranging from the expansive and painterly work of Betty Woodman to the delicate porcelain of Elsa Rady, these artworks exemplify women's experimentation with studio pottery and its transformation during the late twentieth century. Each of these four artists were exhibited at Frank Lloyd Gallery in Santa Monica, as the gallery produced 40 solo shows by women, and women participated in 24 group exhibits.

A small but expressive closed sculptural form by Toshiko Takaezu (1922–2011) is made using traditional pottery techniques of wheel-throwing and glazing, yet the work is best thought of as sculpture, or as painting-in-the-round. This piece is typical of Toshiko's quiet and meditative work, where the brushy glaze blends into the thrown form with a misty veil of subtle color. Her work can also be understood as a reflection of her cultural heritage, as she was born in Hawaii, to a Japanese émigré family. Toshiko, whose legacy continues to grow, exhibited at Frank Lloyd Gallery in 1997.

Elsa Rady (1943–2011) Along with several innovative ceramic artists in the 1960s, Elsa Rady studied at the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. The school's emphasis on a thorough knowledge of history, tradition, and technique provided students with a background for making classic vessel forms, often derived from Chinese ceramics. The five works in this show demonstrate an understanding of Chinese ceramics, and her elegant porcelain pieces from the late 1960s and early 1970s show that influence. The delicate details of the works are shown here, as well as the intricacies of the glazes.

As the first living woman artist to be honored with a solo show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Betty Woodman (1930–2018) had an enormous influence on generations of ceramic artists. Woodman was one of the first women to graduate from the Alfred University MFA program in 1950, and began her work as a functional potter shortly thereafter. She returned to Italy several times in the 1950s and 60s, and established a home and studio in Antella, Italy. The example in this show, a thrown and altered platter form, shows her love of painterly themes, melded with a colorful sensibility. Her work is included in more than fifty public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. We showed Betty Woodman twice in solo shows, 2003 and 2006.

"Early Four Handled Tall Neck Vessel" from the1970s, is a remarkable example of Beatrice Wood's (1893–1998) signature luster glazing, which she developed over the course of her long and extraordinary life. The slender, tapering vessel is adorned with four small looping handles, and complements the rich surface of her work. This vessel has the elegant presence of an artifact unearthed from an ancient civilization. Shimmering, gilded colors animate this piece, catching the light and drawing in the viewer. The Frank Lloyd Gallery in Santa Monica showed Beatrice Wood in six solo shows, and a variety of group shows.