Sally Bowen Prange (NC, 1927-2007), Re-edged Bowl and Barnacle Vessel, Two Works

Porcelain glazed in a similar palette of blue magenta and gilt, the first in spherical form with barnacle finish and organic form oculus (5 1/4 in.); the second in bowl form with shaped rim, 1981 (5 x 8 1/2 x 8 in.). Both with impressed artist glyph to the base.

Included with the Lot is a monograph catalog Sally Bowen Prange, designed and produced in 2000 by Kachergis Book Design in Pittsboro, North Carolina; as well as an exhibition catalog Particles and Passion: The Art of Clay, Feb. 18th - April 2, 2005.

Collection of the Prange Family, Hillsborough, North Carolina

Re-edged Bowl exhibited:
Vanessa Lynn Gallery, New York, New York
Academy Art Museum, Easton, Maryland. Particles and Passion: The Art of Clay, Feb. 18th - April 2, 2005.

Re-edged Bowl is published as figure 2 in the accompanying monograph catalog, Sally Bowen Prange, as well as on pg. 27 of the exhibition catalog from the Academy Art Museum. Sally writes the work was "developed after a trip to China and Japan in 1978. There is a special delicate working of the edge while the plastic bowl is still on the potter's wheel. There is a lightness and freedom in the use of color oxides and in the movement of the brushwork."

Sally Bowen Prange graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology in 1950. As a young mother of four children, Sally began the pursuit of ceramic art in a small studio in the basement of the family home in Chapel Hill. She purchased her first wheel and kiln in 1955. When the family lived in England for a year in 1968 she visited artists such as Bernard Leach and Lucie Rie at their studios and acquired pieces directly from them. Later she would visit American artists such as Beatrice Wood and Paul Soldner from whom she also acquired work. Sally did take some ceramic and design courses, including workshops with respected ceramics instructors sponsored by the American Crafts Council, but was largely self taught. Over the years, her artwork would evolve into a beautiful blend of form, surface, and color, exhibiting influences from her travels, workshops, and experiences. Her studies in stoneware eventually lead her to the use of porcelain in the 1970s, which Sally described as the "an aristocratic clay in all of its temperamental characteristics." Gaining regional and national exhibition experience led to further exhibitions abroad, including England, Italy, and Japan.

Among the many influences on her work were the artistic ceramic works from China and Japan, British modern ceramic artists Bernard Leach and Lucie Rie, as well as geology and natural science. Marine life was a passion she shared with her second husband and marine biologist, Steve Wainwright. Her "Edgescape" forms, textured "Barnacle" glazes, and colorful palette are a translation of this experience.

Sally achieved international recognition and acclaim for her work and her pieces are displayed in many private, business, and museum collections including Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; Smithsonian Institute; The Museum of Art, Penn State University; the North Carolina Museum of Art Raleigh, North Carolina; Ackland Art Museum, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina; among many others.

Good estate condition.