Leza McVey
Encyclopedia
Leza Marie McVey sometimes known as Sullivan, was an American
studio potter
.
In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, also an artist. The couple lived and worked in many locations in Texas
from 1935 to 1947.
from 1927 to 1932 and later at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center from 1943 to 1944. In 1947, William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan
, and there Leza McVey met Finnish artist Maija Grotell
and eventually they became friends with Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu
who studied there between 1951 and 1954. In 1953, Leza McVey moved to Cleveland with her husband, where she set up a studio.
. This was in stark contrast with the then current Futurism
movement which had a much more machine-like aesthetic. Said to be ahead of her time, Leza McVey built large biomorphic forms with her hands. Many were typically bottle-shaped, even including a stopper at the end.
In the 1960s, Leza McVey produced vastly less because of her reduced eyesight.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
studio potter
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
.
In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, also an artist. The couple lived and worked in many locations in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1935 to 1947.
Study
She studied at the Cleveland Institute of ArtCleveland Institute of Art
The Cleveland Institute of Art is a private college of art and design located in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio. It was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women. From 1891 until 1948 it was named Cleveland School of Art. During the Great Depression the school...
from 1927 to 1932 and later at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center from 1943 to 1944. In 1947, William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and there Leza McVey met Finnish artist Maija Grotell
Maija Grotell
Maija Grotell was a ceramist and teacher sometimes described today as the “mother of American ceramics”. Grotell was born in Helsinki, Finland, and emigrated to New York in 1927. After arriving in New York she studied at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University...
and eventually they became friends with Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu
Toshiko Takaezu was an American ceramic artist.She was born to Japanese immigrant parents in Pepeekeo, Hawaii, in 1922. She studied at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and at the University of Hawaii under Claude Horan from 1948-1951...
who studied there between 1951 and 1954. In 1953, Leza McVey moved to Cleveland with her husband, where she set up a studio.
Body of work
Leza McVey's work led the way for modern ceramic art in the US. One can find both surrealist and an inspiration in natural and organic shapes in her sculpture-like porcelain or stoneware sculptures. A few of her pieces were included in a surrealist exhibition in the Guggenheim Museum BilbaoGuggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
. This was in stark contrast with the then current Futurism
Futurism
Futurism was an artistic and social movement that originated in Italy in the early 20th century.Futurism or futurist may refer to:* Afrofuturism, an African-American and African diaspora subculture* Cubo-Futurism* Ego-Futurism...
movement which had a much more machine-like aesthetic. Said to be ahead of her time, Leza McVey built large biomorphic forms with her hands. Many were typically bottle-shaped, even including a stopper at the end.
In the 1960s, Leza McVey produced vastly less because of her reduced eyesight.
Further reading
Martin Eidelberg, The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey (2003) is a study of Leza McVey’s work.External links
- "Leza Marie McVey - American pioneer potter", Ceramics Today (undated; accessed 16 November 2011)