Through the Trees

In my summer studio I have been working with a lot of different media. "Through the Trees" not only deals with our close dependence on the trees but also our kinship to them .

Composed

Composed can refer to a state of mind, to things being put together just right, but it also implies that things are the sum of parts, constantly subjected to the positive and negative energies pulling them together and apart.

The work on "Composed" culminated in a solo show at the Art Center Sarasota. You can see some photos of the show here:

https://anjapalombo.com/shows-and-news

and listen me talk about the work at the links below that.

Alive in the Forest of Possibility

This is an ongoing series of botanical abstractions in different media I am working on.

The work is being done in a variety of media including acrylic and watercolor painting on paper and canvas, paper pulp/mixed media and ceramic sculptures.

Studio as Archive

My Studio is a refuge for experimentation and an archive of ideas- including the ones that went wrong. No work stands alone, and all pieces evolve from earlier projects. The studio helps me find the red thread in my thinking and puts each new idea in a context of evolving visual language.

Many of my sculptural pieces quote modern minimalism and ancient anthropomorphic forms. The perforations, slits and openings are about perception and the "lenses" and thoughts through which we perceive the world. The constant play with "negative" space refers to the narrative bias in our perception. Over time, I find these themes ever present and evolving in my visual language.

These photos came out of a talk and photosession with the lovely photographer Iru Barfield who cam e for a visit and generously sent me these beautiful photos. It was exciting to see the studio through her eyes.

a group of mosty recent work from the studio

Head in the Clouds

"Head in the Clouds" is an ongoing series of sculptures dealing with clouds in their metaphorical and literal sense. The clouds connect us all, through the water, the beauty and the data they hold.

These pieces are between 14 and 29 inches tall. They are made of porcelain or stoneware. Some are glazed on the inside.

minimalist modernist surrealist contemporary sculpture stoneware

Calyx

These sculptural pieces are made from stoneware with experimental glazed finishes. Conceptually, they play with the multiple meanings of the word Calyx. In botany, a Calyx is the vessel shaped support of a blossom. A calyx is also an ancient Greek form of a drinking vessel. The English word Chalice is derived from this. The direct translation into German, "Kelch" maintains both meanings and also stands for the notion of fate. The Calyx contains the drink that is our fate and we have to drink whatever is served to us. The concept beautifully expresses the all encompassing power nature holds over us. These pieces are finished with a largely matte heavily textured glaze that has areas of metallic shine. The colors are stone colors, ranging from white to grey, ochre and beige.

large sculptural minimalist vessels with heavily textured glaze, neutral colors

Thoughts Upon Thoughts

This project came about when I was away from the studio for three months. I decided to work in a more self reliant way, independent of complicated processes and expensive materials as well as minimize the environmental impact of my work. I let the materials and tools that I found around guide me. The project “Thoughts Upon Thoughts” explores the way we think, the looping thoughts, traps, undulating contemplation, transcendent flashes and piercing scrutiny that propels our actions. This has been an insightful experiment in self reliance in terms creative and conceptual thinking. The work is continuing and influences my thinking.

found object sculpture, contemporary sculpture, abstract work, a

Bodies

These small porcelain vessels are thrown and altered, glazed on the inside and fired to cone 7. The pristine white, stone like surface and minimized abstraction and cropping are inspired by what remains of ancient Cycladic sculpture. In their simplicity they talk about the history of the medium and our shared human experience. They currently range in height from 4.5 to 20 inches. These are part of an ongoing series.

Life on Earth

"Life on Earth" is an ongoing series of "Terrestrials" or creature like objects that combine a smooth, unearthly white surfaces and geometric shapes inspired by physics and outer space with the earthy and organic character of found natural materials. These "terrestrial creatures" prompt me to look at life around me carefully and be inspired and thrilled by the infinite possibility, variety and forms it holds.

These pieces are between 5 and 12 inches tall. They are made of low fired ceramics and found botanical materials.

Landed

Here in Florida, I was inspired by the amazing Florida "cloudscapes" to create a number of functional and sculptural experiments based on clouds. Sarasota clouds are spectacular. A friend once called them the "Sarasota mountains".

The "Landed" Project (2021) was commissioned by a couple of collectors who saw those experiments and wanted an installation for a new residence they were building on Siesta Key. The couple was just "landing" in Sarasota, and I created this Installation of "landed" clouds for them. The work is based on clouds, storm and twister shapes. All pieces are made from high fired porcelain. Only the insides are glazed, inviting the owners to collect cuttings form their native plant garden, seedpods, interesting foliage, shells and stones. I wanted to capture the light, cool refractory spirit of the bright island light and skies and sandy beaches and offer it as a backdrop and invitation to explore the beautiful vegetation that miraculously grows out of the sandy, salty island soil.

In the project gallery below, you can see some details and some of the pieces leading up to "Landed"- some of which are in glazed stoneware.