All About My Narrative Animal Clay Sculptures

I started this body of work in September of 2005. It was first exhibited in a solo show at Vision Gallery. Various pieces have been juried into shows and received recognition, as hand modeled earthenware sculptures using animalized human forms, animal or animal/human groupings.

Surface decorations are built up through successive firings, similar to painting, using both matt and gloss glazes, stains and lusters. When glazes seemed too restrictive to convey the subtle mood of some of the pieces, I have taken to treating the sculpture as a canvas to paint with oils.

“When an established artist with a life long portfolio of work takes a new direction it’s sometimes hard to tell where the work will end up. Andree’ Richmond did just this and has drawn from her established patterns and introduced some new interpretations. Animals still figure heavily in the themes of the work but the new work speaks with a larger voice than ever.”
“This new work has been attracting attention. ‘David’ a rhino with a man’s body, was the first piece she made, that won the Irene Glover Forbes pottery prize at the Beaufort fine Art show last year. This year ‘All in a days work ” took first place 3D, at the same show.”
Vision Gallery hosted a solo show for her in June, showcasing 12 animal people narrative pieces, an exploration of attributes and commentary on people’s inner selves. Thoughts on the way we are.

My lifelong interests are animals and what makes people do what they do. As a kid, I got an animal encyclopedia for Christmas, which I read from cover to cover. My interest in animals has continued, as I have observed and trained many animals and experienced their personalities.

She blends human and animal forms to illuminate our foibles and our attributes. The pieces speak in metaphors all can readily understand. We’ve all felt as stubborn as a mule, as meek as a lamb or as strong as a bull. This is a vocabulary said to comment on how we are, so we can all ‘show ourselves’ if we dare.”

As subject matter animals tend to be less threatening and can be used to caricature human traits and personalities.

Animals have a much higher degree of variety in their personality than humans. They also are much more straightforward than people and can often be taken at face value. Animals, as subject material, allows me to explore the deep subconscious and traditional symbolic power they convey.

As inspiration, my day to day life spills over into my art.

People, events and images get reshaped and combined into a blend of my view and my style. It has become clear that my work is less ‘created’ than ‘found’. By following a concept over time, more is revealed to me about the work. This is not always a comfortable process as it forces me far out of my comfort zone. Work made inside the comfort zone usually has no ‘life’ in it,  so discomfort is the necessary evil.

My Narrative sculptures combine psychology, myth and animals, which swirl and blend in my consciousness, and I sculpt the result.

Visit my Sculpture Archive

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