Woodfired Figure XI

For more than three decades, Cathy Broski has been exploring the figure. Recognized for her archetypal figures, she experiments with minimizing some aspects of the figure while maximizing others. Her surfaces are inspired by weathered objects and the erosion of the earth.

She achieved this on this one-of-a-kind textured stoneware clay figure with a light spray of copper glaze enhanced by the atmospheric firing of the wood-fired kiln process: the kiln is fueled with woods of variable size throughout its five-day firing. The ash is carried by the flame and airflow throughout the kiln until landing on the surface of a piece, vaporizing to become glaze.