Beth Cavener
Cavener sculpts stoneware from a conglomeration of ominous animals. The artist relies on animal body language as a metaphor for underlying patterns of human behavior. The sculptural forms are a combination of animal and human body limbs and expressions. They are presented as suspended in the ether around us.
She explains, “The sculptures I create focus on human psychology, stripped of context and rationalization, and the articulated, through animal and human forms. On the surface, these figures are simply…individuals suspended in a moment of tension. Beneath the surface, however, they embody the consequences of human fear, apathy, aggression, and misunderstanding.” Her feral realism elicits an emotional response. The pieces are sculpted, fired in a kiln, and then painted with Martha Stewart’s Designer Paints which are kaolin based.The grays are ominous, the creams and peaches appear innocent, the blacks are powerful and tense, the fire-red animal head is passionately fierce.
