Image: The Wizard and Wife, Ceramic, 2014
November 25- December 20, 2014
Opening Reception: Thursday, December 4, 6-8 pm
Sylvia Sherr | We are the clay; the work of Your hand
We are the clay; the work of your hand,
on view at SOHO20 from November 25 through December 20, features recent ceramic work by Sylvia Sherr. The exhibition title draws from the words of Isaiah 64.8 in the
Old Testament, “We are the clay; the work of Your hand.”
The writings of Isaiah thread through Sherrs’ interest in humanism, and presents as a significant influence throughout her body of work.
Figural elements are a constant as Sherr invents each piece anew, merging sculptural and drawn components in unlikely combinations.
Wizard and Wife is a double sided piece with a mix of myth and whismsy. She combines Eastern and Western influences of dress and cultural references. On one side a bearded man in Japanese dress displays dragons hidden under his robes while the other side of the figure presents a spry ancient Egyptian sculpture of an otter with the head of a red – mouthed woman. The mismatch of these elements only seek to heighten how well they fit together.
Such disparancies are not connected seamlessly. Rather, Sherr embraces an ability to
connect with keen attention to the seams themselves. Additionally, her sensitivity to the
materials makes each piece a playground for the eye, an opportunity discover the
nuances articulated by her hand. With such crafted harmony, it makes perfect sense to
view an old woman whose back erupts with black funerary roses, or human bodies with
heads of a cat and dog.
The exhibition will also feature a series of family “portraits” drawn on clay slabs. The
portraits capture the likeness of people living between the two great wars, posed according
to the conventions of the time. Their humanity gazes at our world.
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Sylvia Sherr was born in Zamosz, Poland and immigrated to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as a
young child. She obtained a BFA from the University of Wisconsin and an MA in
Humanities from Kean University of New Jersey. This is her second exhibition with
SOHO20 Chelsea Gallery. She lives and works in Cliffside Park, New Jersey.
SOHO20 Chelsea Gallery | 548 West 28th Street | Suite 333 | New York | NY | 10001
