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Gertraud's Portraits
Title: Female Torso, 2000
Artist: Gertraud Möhwald (German 1929-2002)
Medium: Clay, Shards, Glazes, Engobes, Paper
Photographer: George Meister, Courtesy of Galerie b15
Collection of Candice B. Groot, USA
Image Courtesy: Gardiner Museum
Clay Portraits: Gertraud Möhwald
Gardiner Museum
Toronto, Ontario
October 12, 2007 - January 20, 2008
Viewing Gertraud Möhwald's sculptures one can't help but wonder if the experience of war colored her career. The artist lived through the second World War and survived the unprecedented bombing of her hometown, Dresden.
Title: Head with Wire Curl, 2000
Artist: Gertraud Möhwald (German 1929-2002)
Medium: Clay, Shards, Glazes, Oxides,Paper, Coil Spring
Photographer: George Meister, Courtesy of Galerie b15
Collection of Renate and Bernd Wunderle, Munich
Image Courtesy: Gardiner Museum
Known for it's incredible artistic community particularly in sculptures, the former East German city sustained massive damage as the
allies fought against the Nazi Regime. The Baroque architectural delight lost much as a result and this imagery is a natural faucet surrounding
the clay base enhanced with found pieces and other media from the German artist.
Toronto's home for ceramics, the Gardiner Museum, currently has an intriguing collection of Gertraud Möhwald's clay portraits on display.
Susan Jefferies, Curator of Modern & Contemporary ceramics spoke about the works, "they are actually portraits. She[Gertraud Möhwald] said,
'what's important to me is the study of the head and the torso and the human body.'" The curator adds, "It is a Classical Study. Look at the
sculpture quality. It reminds us of classical architecture. These are important works that we are honored to have here,
at the Gardiner Museum."
Title: Julian III, 2002
Artist: Gertraud Möhwald (German 1929-2002)
Medium: Clay, Shards, Glazes, Paper
Photographer: George Meister, Courtesy of Galerie b15
Collection of Candice B. Groot, USA
Image Courtesy: Gardiner Museum
The portraits have such unique characteristics thanks to the objects embedded over the portrait base. The artist once said, "if I am not satisfied with the color of a glaze, I stick a scrap of colored paper on the glazed area and paint it as well. I have freed myself from the narrow-minded laws of ceramics, as far as the use on non-ceramic
materials is concerned.”
The exhibit is comprised of 23 pieces from the Stiftung Moritzburg Kunstmuseum des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt, the family's collection, and private collections.
Clay Portraits: Gertraud Möhwald
Gardiner Museum:
October 12, 2007 - January 20, 2008
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