Manceeeeeeep

American artist Kathy Ruttenberg unfolds a tale in fired clay like an elaborate children's book, an enchanted tale of dogs, birds, goats, rabbits, deers and more. The female figure plays a dominant role in the narrative. The characters often appear to be adaptations of classic goddess motifs, such as Ubasti, the Egyptian cat-headed goddess of love an joy. In addition to multifaceted subject matter and symbolic metaphor Ruttenberg's sculptures are nuanced by various materials and textures. Metal, glass, fabric and wire are layered within each work creating an extension of expression, but it's her glazing techniques that truly cement the pieces as works of art.

" My work is an expression of inner landscapes fueled by a need to understand, explore and excavate. The subject matter is personal and universal as I strive to find the humanity in the absurd, and search to express the elements of profound emotional states that twist us inside and often put us in unpredictable situations. The tools for my work are fire, earth and emotions, this mix makes an interesting cocktail of allegory and symbolism with an odd twist of nature...."

I will be naked in the Fall, 2010

I Can Feel Myself, 2010

Who Decides, 2010

Overgrown, 2010

Bird of Paradise, 2009

Confessions of a Tree, 2009

Grounded, 2009

Lighthead, 2009

Say Cheese, 2009

Courtesy Kathy Ruttenberg

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Mariana Monteagudo is a thirty-something artist from Venezuela who has been working her series of doll sculptures over the last decade. Her ceramic and mixed-media dolls are intriguing and fascinating. Her artwork shows her interest in pre-Columbian aesthetics, related to magic and taken as an important graphic expression of Latin American Culture. Her work also shows her attraction to Japanese manga and mass-market toys.
Munecas (Dolls) is the generic term Monteagudo uses to describe her creations since 1998. With them, the artist has received important awards in Venezuela, and her pieces have been featured in group shows at home and abroad. Her unusual characters have attracted the attention of many critics, and they have been linked to Tibetan Buddhism's.

Double Redhead