7.01.2012

leza mcvey: under the radar and underrated

Leza McVey
1946

Leza McVey is the most famous
American ceramicist you have never heard of.
Why?
 Lots of reasons,
but I'll let you discover that on your own,
since as loyal MB readers know,
I am big on pictures,
and short on words.
What I do know is that she shouldn't be so obscure,
and this is my tiny part to help with that.
I LOVE her work.
Her forms are organic and surreal,
and way ahead of their time.
Her ties to Maija Grotell and Toshiko Takaezu
are there to be seen,
but she was her own woman,
and produced some of the most striking
ceramic vessels of the 20th century.
Word.

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 34"
h. 16"
1951
Everson Museum of Art

(I am including the size of the pieces,
because most of Leza's piece were
very large for the era.)

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 33"
h. 10 3/8"
1951
Everson Museum of Art

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 11"
("Pregnant Ghost")
h. 30 1/2"
c. 1949
Private collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 6-1"
h. 16 7/8"
1956
Cleveland Museum of Art

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 8-5"
h. 29 1/2"
1951
Cleveland Museum of Art

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 5-18"
h. 24 7/8"
1965
Private collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 7-24"
h. 19 1/2"
1967
Private collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 7-01"
h. 24"
1967
(Reglazed in 1978)
Private collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form"
h. 27"
c. 1957
Private collection
(Where have I seen this before....)

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 75-01"
h. 22"
1975
Private collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 3"
("Pottle")
h. 12 5/8"
1947-48
(Reglazed in 1953)
Cleveland Museum of Art

Leza Marie Sullivan
c. 1931
Hottie Alert!

Leza McVey
Page from her "Ceramic Daybook"
1947
Collection of the Archives of American Art,
Smithsonian Institution
Leza McVey
"Bowl"
h. 4 1/2"
1947
Private collection
(Notice this is bowl from the drawing above.)

Leza McVey modeling a "Ceramic Form"
in her Cranbrook studio.
c. 1950-51

 Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 16"
h. 16"
c. 1950s
Whereabouts unknown
(I'm gonna find it!)

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Forms (from left to right) No. 3-5, 3-7, C-1, 3-1"
Tallest 42"
1952-53

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Forms" submitted to the Cleveland
"May Show"
1954
"Ceramic Forms (from left to right) No. 3-7, 3, 19, 3-9, 28"
Tallest 31"
1951-52

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Forms" submitted to the Cleveland
"May Show"
1956
"Ceramic Forms (from left to right) No. 6-2, 6-7, 6-9, 6-1, 3-4"
Tallest 26"
1953-56

Announcement for Leza McVey's
ceramic class at the
Akron Art Institute.
1953

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 20"
h. 27 1/2"
1950
Smithsonian Institution,
National Museum of American History

Leza McVey at her retrospective exhibition at
the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1965

 Leza McVey
Installation view of her retrospective exhibition at
the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1965
(Design John Paul Miller)

Leza McVey
Installation view of her retrospective exhibition at
the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1965
(Design John Paul Miller)

Leza McVey
Installation view of her retrospective exhibition at
the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1965
(Design John Paul Miller)

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 21"
h. 30 1/2"
c. 1950
Private collection

Leza McVey in her studio.
Cleveland
c. 1980

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 19"
h. 20 1/2"
c. 1949
Private collection
(This looks familiar too....)

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 24"
h. 29 1/4"
1950
Bruno Bischofberger Collection
Zurich

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 28"
h. 31"
1951
Syracuse University,
University Art Collection

Leza McVey
"Ceramic Form No. 31"
h. 16 3/4"
1951
Private collection

Leza McVey at her retrospective exhibition at
the Cleveland Institute of Art.
1965

All images from:
"The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey"
by Martin Eidelberg
Buy your copy 

More Leza sightings on 
MONDOBLOGO
and

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing!
    This is a beautiful blog.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow! what fantastic work. Thank you for introducing me to her and thanks for your great blog!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have a vase that looks very leza...can I send you a pic, or can you put a up a pic of her makers mark? Or both? Thanks x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah- Send a photo to mondoblogo (at) gmail (dot) com
      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. Thank you for a great post on a fantastic ceramic artist! What an inspiration.

    ReplyDelete