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 

HERE

More Leza sightings on 

MONDOBLOGO

HERE

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and

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