The dialogue between ceramic and art expressed by the works of Betty Woodman will be the subject of an exhibition curated by Vincenzo de Bellis to be held at the Marino Marini Museum in Florence from 19 September to 28 November.
The latest works by the American artist have played an important role in re-establishing the artistic credentials of ceramic, and opening up a new path for it in contemporary art.
In a career spanning 60 years - for 45 of which she has divided her time between New York and Antella, a village near Bagno a Ripoli in Tuscany - Woodman has exhibited her works in museums and other prestigious venues, from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to Palazzo Pitti in Florence.
Through the use of bright colours and eccentric shapes, her works have gradually breached the boundaries of decorative art and moved firmly into the territory of visual art, frequently crossing the frontiers of painting too. This intermingling of ceramic and painting is made even more explicit by its integration with three-dimensional elements.
After its first showing at the Marino Marini Museum, the exhibition will have a second showing at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts) in London, from 2 February to 10 April 2016.
