Beatrice Wood free essay sample

Wood (1893-1998) is known both for her shimmering pots and her long, extraordinary life. Although intrigued by the arts from an early age, Wood was 40 years old by the time she began experimenting with ceramics and found her true vocation. Before discovering her love for clay, Wood had forays into painting, drawing, writing, and theatre. Involved in everything from Vaudeville to Dada, she spent her youth searching for the right outlet for her artistic and creative energies. Beatrice met Marcel Duchamp and his friend, writer and diplomat Henri Roche, and he three formed a close friendship. Together they founded the magazine Blind Man, one of the first manifestations of the Dada art movement in New York. They also frequented Avant garde gatherings, spending many lively evenings at the home of collectors Walter and Louise Arsenberg, whose walls were hung with works by Picasso, Matisse and Braque. Intrigued by the West Coast, she moved permanently to Los Angeles in 1928, and from there her life began to change. We will write a custom essay sample on Beatrice Wood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In 1930 she traveled to Europe with a friend and bought a set of Persian luster plates. Unable to find a teapot that matched, she igned up for a ceramics class at Hollywood High, hoping to make one herself. The teapot was long in coming, but Wood discovered her affinity for clay immediately. She soon set up a studio and began selling her work. By the early 1970s, Wood had established a reputation as a fine artist. She turned her focus to more complex, decorative vessels, and her work was increasingly sought after by galleries and museums. By the time of her death at the age of 105, Wood had become a well-recognized fgure in the world of ceramic art, renowned as much for her luster glaze as for her longevity, vitality, and charm. EARLY WORK