Leza Marie McVey (1907–1984) was an American ceramist and weaver. She is known for her large hand-built organic forms.
Leza Marie McVey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Leza Marie Sullivan May 1, 1907 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | September 24, 1984 (aged 77) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Cleveland Institute of Art |
| Known for | Ceramics, Fiber Art |
| Spouse | William Mozart McVey |
Biography edit
McVey née Sullivan was born on May 1, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] She studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927–1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center (1943–1944).[2] In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, and from 1935 to 1947,[3] she worked as a ceramist in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.[2] William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1947, and there she met the Finnish artist Maija Grotell and became friends with the Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu who studied at the Cranbrook Academy from 1951 to 1954.[3] In 1953, McVey returned to her native city of Cleveland and established her studio in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio.[2]
McVey's large-scaled, biomorphic, asymmetrical work is said to reflect her dissatisfaction with wheel-thrown pieces and to have led the way for modern ceramic art in the United States.[2][3] Influenced by surrealism, her sculptural stoneware and porcelain works embody the natural, organic form.[3] In 1965, the Cleveland Institute of Art presented a major retrospective of her work that included seventy-five large scale sculptures or what she called "ceramic forms."[4] By 1979 McVey's production slowed due to her failing eyesight.
McVey died on September 24, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio.[1]
Collections containing work edit
McVey's work may be found in many collections including the Everson Museum of Art,[5] the Metropolitan Museum of Art,[6] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[7] and the Syracuse University Art Museum.[8]
Legacy edit
In 2002 the art historian Martin Eidelberg wrote a book entitled The ceramic forms of Leza McVey[9] which helped bring her work back into the public eye.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b Falino, Jeannine (2011). Crafting modernism: midcentury American art and design: [exhibition Crafting modernism. Midcentury American art and design, Museum of Arts and Design, New York, October 11, 2011 - January 15, 2012; Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, February 27 - May 21, 2012]. New York: Abrams. p. 297. ISBN 978-0810984806.
- ^ a b c d Heller, Jules; Heller, Nancy G., eds. (1995). North American Women Artists of the Twentieth Century. New York and London: Garland Publishing. pp. 375. ISBN 0824060490.
- ^ a b c d "Ceramics Today - Leza Marie McVey". www.ceramicstoday.com. Retrieved 2016-03-05.
- ^ Janet., Koplos (2010). Makers : a history of American studio craft. Metcalf, Bruce, 1949-, Center for Craft, Creativity & Design. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807834138. OCLC 658203695.
- ^ "Object of the Week: Ceramic Forms No. 33 and No. 34 by Leza McVey". Everson Museum of Art. 10 June 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Leza McVey | Ceramic Form No. 25". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Ceramic Form No. 21". MFAB. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ "Works – Leza McVey". Syracuse University Shaffer Art Building. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
- ^ Eidelberg, Martin P. The ceramic forms of Leza McVey. Philmark Publishers. ISBN 9780972690706.
- ^ Koplos, Janet; Metcalf, Bruce (2010). Makers: a history of American studio craft. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina press. p. 223. ISBN 9780807834138.
Further reading edit
Eidelberg, Martin P., The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey. Hudson, New York: Philmark Publishers, 2002.