Merete Rasmussen

Merete Rasmussen
Endless Blue (Wall), 2016

Ceramic
C. 17.5 in. h x 21 in. w x 8 in. d

Works range from $9,000-$15,000
Courtesy of J.Lohmann Gallery

The twisting, looping, curved forms by Britain-based Danish sculptor Merete Rasmussen have become bigger and bolder over the years - to the point that she now works in bronze when making sculptures beyond a certain size.  The mid-size ceramic pieces, however, remain hand-made and kiln-fired.  Elaborately designed in thin clay, they are fragile and heavy and liable to cracks and distortions prior to the first firing; working with clay for many years, however, Rasmussen has devised a way for these flowing, curvaceous, spiralling pieces to maintain their shape throughout the process.  Her decision to add eye-popping matt glazes in reds, blues, oranges and yellows is both to emphasise the shape of the pieces but also to add a sense of strength through their vibrancy. 
 Endless Blue is one continuous piece of coiled ceramic with a focus on the inner shape.  It’s a wall-hung sculpture that plays on light on shadow, where different elements and planes are highlighted depending on the direction of the light source. 
 Rasmussen’s work is in a number of collections including the Victoria & Albert Museum where a fabulous, large, red, free-standing sculpture is on display in Room 141, Contemporary Ceramics. 
 
For more information: jlohmanngallery.com

Hedge issue 50, pp72-77, May 2018