HOWARD HOUSE RESALE


MICHAEL LUCERO
“Michael Lucero, working with figures, both human and non-human, produced a considerable body of sculpture at Humboldt State College before entering graduate school in 1977 at the University of Washington. These early works showed a potentially powerful aesthetic, partly achieved through a unique selection of materials and techniques far removed from much of the work in clay that was being or has since been produced on the West Coast. At the University of Washington he enlarged the figures, creating at one time distorted and “distressed” human figures in coil-built construction, which were suspended rather than mounted. Lucero's understanding of the critical value of using appropriate techniques for achieving aesthetic ends became apparent when he began constructing the forms with chicken wire “armatures” that were hung densely with small, hand pressed and molded, fire clay “petals,” colored with bright underglazes. The loose freedom of the construction, which replaced the rigidity of the coil-built figures, complemented their suspension in free space and helped create the feeling of softness and vulnerability of a living body.

A theme running through all of his work is the artist's devout humanism and his understanding of the “human condition” as well as evidence of his search for freedom through these images and the way they are handled. One powerfully evocative work is his Jesus Figure with its organic, fleshlike surfaces, achieved with the clay “petals.” Lucero invests these figures with a strong sense of mystery without the vagueness that so often accompanies ambiguity. He welcomes suggestions and interpretations of his work. About the tedious task of attaching hundreds of clay “petals” to each work, he considers his acceptance of the work, with its involved and careful craftsmanship, in a valid statement about and by the artist. And, for the artist, it is a way of documenting his time and his commitment to the work. During the monotonous process he claims that he feels a certain freedom.”

Harrington, LaMar. Ceramics in the Pacific Northwest: A History. “The Clay Object as Sculpture: The Turning Point.” The University of Washington Press:1979. P.120-121




ROBERT SPERRY
1927-1998

ABRDGED RESUME

EDUCATION
1955 MFA, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
1954 Archie Bray Foundation, Artist in Residence
1953 BFA, School of The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago,IL
1950 BA, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
1955-1982 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Professor
1982-1998 University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Professor Emeritus

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1999
Ceramics & Prints, Howard House, Seattle, WA

1998
Robert Sperry 1927-1998: New Prints, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA (catalogue)

1994
Robert Sperry, Bentley Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ,

1993
Robert Sperry - Ceramics, National Academy of Sciences, Washington D.C.
Joanne Rapp Gallery , Scottsdale, AZ
A Celebration of Contemporary Ceramic Art, Maveety Gallery, Gleneden Beach, OR

1992
Schneider Blume Loeb Gallery, Chicago, IL

1991
SAFECO, Inc., Galleries, Seattle, WA
Helen Drutt Gallery, New York, NY

1990
Northlight Gallery, Everett Community College, Everett, WA
Janet Huston Gallery, LaConner, WA.

1989
Greg Kucera Gallery, Seattle, WA

1988
Whatcom Museum of Art, Bellingham, WA
The Art Gym, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, OR

1987
Esther Saks Gallery, Chicago, IL
Robert Sperry, Ceramics, Paperworks, Drawings, Sheehan Gallery, Whitman College, Walla Walla, WA

1985
The Southwest Crafts Center, San Antonio, TX
Robert Sperry: A Retrospective, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue;
Cheney Cowles Memorial Museum,Spokane, WA.

SELECTED CORPORATE COLLECTIONS

Chubb International Insurance Group, Wallen County, NJ
Hughes Aircraft Corporation
IBM Field Engineering Educational Center, Atlanta, GA
S.C. Johnson Collection, Racine, WI
Lannon Foundation, Palm Beach, FL
JMB Corporation
Hughes Aircraft Corporation
SAFECO Insurance Company, Seattle, WA
Microsoft, Redmond, WA
Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Menlo Park, CA
Vulcan Northwest, Seattle, WA
Bank of America Collection, Seattle, WA