Wouter Dam - Contemporary Studio Artworks from the Estate of Jack R. Bershad New York Wednesday, June 8, 2022 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Blue and red sculpture:
    Barrett Marsden Gallery, London
    Acquired from the above by the present owner, 1999

    Green and dark red sculpture:
    Galerie Carla Koch, Amsterdam
    Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2001

  • Literature

    Edmund de Waal, 20th Century Ceramics, London, 2003, p. 185 for a similar example
    Jane Perryman, Naked Clay, London, 2004, pp. 11-14 for similar examples
    Emmanuel Cooper, Contemporary Ceramics, London, 2009, p. 154 for similar examples

  • Catalogue Essay

    Dutch ceramist Wouter Dam creates abstract forms that seem to defy the logic and physics of clay construction. Though abstract in form, his monochromatic creations hint at a range of sources: Neolithic pots, parts of the human body, wooden boats. To create these intricate thin-walled forms, Dam combines throwing and slabbing techniques. Typically, he throws several cylinder, bowl, and vase forms which are later cut into fragments and then spliced together. Describing this element of his work, he has said, “The most important aspect of my work is the contrast between round and flat surfaces when the two meet at sharp angles, thereby interrupting the soft curving surfaces with abrupt lines. Another important aspect is the openness of the piece.” After the initial bisque firing, the sculptures are repeatedly hand rubbed with oxides and stains and then re-fired. As seen in the largest sculpture in the present lot, the edges are sometimes left bare to further accentuate the form.

Contemporary Studio Artworks from the Estate of Jack R. Bershad

25

Four sculptures

1997-2001
Stoneware, powder oxides.
Largest: 12 1/2 x 13 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (31.8 x 34.3 x 36.8 cm)
Underside of each inscribed in pen WD and further inscribed, respectivley, '97, '98, MM, and MMI.

Estimate
$3,000 - 5,000 

Sold for $5,040

Contact Specialist

DesignNewYork@phillips.com
212-940-1268

Contemporary Studio Artworks from the Estate of Jack R. Bershad

New York Auction 8 June 2022