Ceramic Heads and Face Jugs

Red Shoe, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
18 x 11 x 8 in., $1,500

7-2-2015, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
16 x 11 1/2 x  9 1/2 in., $1,500
For additional views CLICK HERE

If I Only Had A Brain, 2015, stoneware and
porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
16 x 11 x 10 in., $1,500
For additional views CLICK HERE

Father and Son Pierced Tongue Double Snake, 2001,
stoneware, porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found
objects, 13 x 7 x 7 1/2 in., $1,100
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

2 Faced With Fish, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
16 x 12 x 8 in., $1,500

Afraid To Put Into Words, 2013, stoneware
and porcelain clay, slips, glazes 
and found objects, 14 1/2 x 11 x 8 in., $1,300

Too Many Secrets/Rehab, 2015,
stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
17 x 12 x 7 in., $1,500/SOLD

Helmet Head Revisited, 2015, 
stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
16 x 10 x 10 in., $1,300/SOLD

Blue Chair, 
2013, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
12 x 6 x 6 in., $800/SOLD

Sticks On Plate, 2015, 
stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
13 x 8 x 8 in., $1,000

Canopic Jar, 2015,
stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
16 x 7 x 6 in., $1,300/SOLD

Blue Bouquet, 2015, stoneware 
and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
16 1/2 x 11 x 8 1/2 in., $1,500

No Title, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
16 x 11 x 7 in., $1,400

Red Stripe, 2014, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
12 1/2 x 9 x 7 in., $1,000/SOLD

Red Mary, 2015, stoneware and 
porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
16 x 10 x 9 in., $1,200

Left For Dead I, 2012,stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
  7 x 5 x 6 in., $500

Left For Dead II, 2012,stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
 7 x 5 x 6 in., $500

Red Arm, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
 15 x 8 x 6 in., $1,400/SOLD

Jim, 2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects, 
14 x 7 x x 7 in., $1,100

Boom Boom Ain't It Fun To Be Crazy,
2015, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes, and found objects,
 16 x 8 x 7 in., $1,100

Screw Nose, 2000, stoneware and porcelain clay,
slips, glazes and found objects, 10 x 7 1/2 x 6 in., $550
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Blue Horse Nose, 2000, stoneware and porcelain 
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
11 x 8 x 7 1/2 in., $600
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Joe Was Here, 2000, stoneware and porcelain 
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
10 x 8 x 7 in., $600
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Blue High Heel Kick In The Eye, 2000, stoneware
and porcelain clay, slips, glazes, 
and found objects,11 x 11 x 7 in., $700
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Happy New Year/Turtle, 2000, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 8 x 6 x 7 in., $550
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Snake Eye Leaf Eye/Wild One, 2000, stoneware
and porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found 
objects, 12 x 8 x 7 in., $700
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

2 Blue Horse Devil, 2000, 
stoneware and porcelain clay, slips, 
glazes and found objects, 
12 1/2 x 8 x 7 in., $750
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Pink Kick In The Eye, 2000, stoneware and 
porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
9 x 6 1/2 x 5 1/2 in., $550
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Barbie Doll Leg Nose, 2000, stoneware and 
porcelain clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
12 x 7 x 7 in., $750
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Leaves and Sticks, 2000, stoneware and porcelain 
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
13 x 7 x 6 in., $700
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Triple Arm Kiss, 2001, stoneware and porcelain 
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
13 x 9 1/2 x 7 in., $850
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Seizure Time, 2012, stoneware,
nichrome wire, glazes, porcelain slip,
and found objects, 7 x 4 x 5 in., $600
For additional views CLICK HERE

Once Was Lost But Now I Am Blind, 2011,
stoneware, nichrome wire,glazes, porcelain
slip and found objects, 14 x 9 x 7 in.,
$1,100 /SOLD
For additional views, CLICK HERE

Life Savings, 2012, stoneware,
nichrome wire, glazes, porcelain
slip, and found objects, 11 x 5 x 6 in.
$650
For additional views CLICK HERE

♥, 2012, stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes,
porcelain slip, and found objects, 12 x 9 x 6 in.
$600/SOLD
For additional views CLICK HERE

Near the End Dredging the Bottom Life & 
Death- Life & Death Daily Choice,
2011, stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes,
porcelain slip and found objects
10 1/2 x 8 x 6 in., $800
For additional views CLICK HERE

No Knowledge, All Instinct, Who Am I, 2012,
stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes, porcelain slip,
and found objects, 19 1/2 x 16 x 9 in., $1,400/SOLD
For additional views CLICK HERE

Tribute To Michael Jackson, 2011, 
stoneware, porcelain, glazes, 
found object, 12.5 x 8.5 x 8 in., $900 

For additional views CLICK HERE

Untitled, 2010, 
stoneware, nichrome wire, porcelain,
 glazes, found object, 
24.5 x 18 x 12 in., $5,000 

Suicide II, 2011, stoneware, nichrome wire,
porcelain, glazes, found object, 

15 x 11 x 15 in., $1,900 

For additional views CLICK HERE

Oak Park #2, Reborn With Legs (3), 2011,
Stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes, porcelain slip
and found objects, 8 1/2 x 5 x 4 in., $500/SOLD
For Additional Views CLICK HERE

Maybe, 2011, 9 x 9 x 9 in.,
stoneware, nichrome wire, porcelain,
glazes, found object, $800
For additional views CLICK HERE

12-30-2000, 2000, porcelain and stoneware
clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
9 1/2 x 7 x 7 in., $600
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

09-29-2000 Shards, 2000, porcelain and
stoneware clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
10 x 7 x 7 in., $600
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Pokemon, 2000, stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes and found objects,
12 x 8 x 6 1/2 in., $700
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Triple Snake Kick In The Eye, 2000, 
stoneware and porcelain clay, slips,
glazes and found objects,
10 1/2 x 8 x 6 in., $650/SOLD
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Virgin Mary Snake, 2001, 
stoneware and porcelain
clay, slips, glazes and found objects, 
14 x 8 x 7 in., $800
With Joe Scotchie–Lenzo.

Miss Alot, Forget Even More, 2012,
stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes,
porcelain slip, and found objects,
12 1/2 6 1/2 x 5 1/2 in., $650/SOLD
For additional views CLICK HERE

Oak Park #4, Brain Damage Recovery
(A Little) Xoxox, 2011,
Stoneware, nichrome wire, glazes, porcelain slip
and found objects, 7 1/2 x 5 x 4 1/2 in., $500
For Additional Views CLICK HERE

Pain Inside Here, 2011,
stoneware, nichrome wire, porcelain,
glazes, found object, 11 x 9 x 8 in., 
$750
For additional views CLICK HERE

if ARTwalk: Salon I & II: December 11- 24, 2008

For exhibition installation images, click here.

THE SALON I & II

Dec. 11 – 24, 2008

an exhibition at two Columbia, SC, locations:

Gallery 80808/Vista Studios

808 Lady Street

&

if ART Gallery

1223 Lincoln Street

Reception and ifART Walk: Thursday, Dec. 11, 5 – 10 p.m.

at and between both locations

Opening Hours:

Weekdays, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, 1 – 5 p.m.

& by appointment

Open Christmas Eve until 7 p.m.

For more information, contact Wim Roefs at if ART:

(803) 255-0068/ (803) 238-2351 – if-art-gallery@sc.twcbc.com

For its December 2008 exhibition, if ART Gallery presents The Salon I & II, an exhibition at two Columbia, SC, locations: if ART Gallery and Gallery 80808/Vista Studios. On Thursday, December 11, 2008, 5 – 10 p.m., if ART will hold opening receptions at both locations. The ifART Walk will be on Lady and Lincoln Streets, between both locations, which are around the corner from each other.

The exhibitions will present art by if ART Gallery artists, installed salon-style at both Gallery 80808 and if ART. Artists in the exhibitions include two new additions to if ART Gallery, Columbia ceramic artist Renee Rouillier and the prominent African-American collage and mixed-media artist Sam Middleton, an 81-year-old expatriate who has lived in the Netherlands since the early 1960s.

Other artists in the exhibition include Karel Appel, Aaron Baldwin, Jeri Burdick, Carl Blair, Lynn Chadwick, Steven Chapp, Stephen Chesley, Corneille, Jeff Donovan, Jacques Doucet, Phil Garrett, Herbert Gentry, Tonya Gregg, Jerry Harris, Bill Jackson, Sjaak Korsten, Peter Lenzo, Sam Middleton, Eric Miller, Dorothy Netherland, Marcelo Novo, Matt Overend, Anna Redwine, Paul Reed, Edward Rice, Silvia Rudolf, Kees Salentijn, Laura Spong, Tom Stanley, Christine Tedesco, Brown Thornton, Leo Twiggs, Bram van Velde, Katie Walker, Mike Williams, David Yaghjian, Paul Yanko and Don Zurlo.

Essay: Peter Lenzo

The Pink Chair, early 1990s

Wood, buttons, cast porcelain

25 x 16 1/4 x 16 in

$1,400

PETER LENZO

By Wim Roefs

2005

Peter Lenzo’s work of the 1990s was in part about dichotomies, both conceptually and aesthetically. In his Virgin Mary Gun Altar series, he combined symbols of Christianity and violence. In his Bed Pan Altar series, the bedpans first attracted Lenzo because of their beautiful shapes, which belied the revulsion the objects trigger with many. By combining the bedpans with altar constructions, Lenzo juxtaposed something sacred with a device designed to facilitate basic bodily functions, although the combination came about for aesthetical, not conceptual reasons. “I thought they looked beautiful together,” Lenzo says. “I liked the soft, succulent, curving lines of the bedpan contained by the rigid, perfect geometric lines of the altar pointing toward God.”

Lenzo began making portable altars after seeing them in European churches and a museum. The main impetus for the work was not, he says, a need to make a statement but his desire to make art that is aesthetically beautiful. “I think that in all art, no matter what message you try to convey, you need to satisfy the aesthetic element first. And if you are building something, you also need to satisfy all aspects of craftsmanship first.” 

He combined religious symbolism with guns in part because of his visceral, negative response to guns when he was younger, a response matched only at times by a – positive – religious experience. Lenzo also saw Christianity and violence, from domestic violence to war, as icons for American society, regardless of whether they go hand in hand. Reading his art as social and political criticism would surpass his intent, Lenzo says, even if it would lead to conclusions about society that ring true to him. “I am not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings or disgust people or make fun of religion. I’d rather have people look at the works as beautiful.”

Lenzo stopped making the altar pieces in the late 1990s. The increased frequency of epileptic seizures brought on by a 1981 traffic accident and the numbing effect of his medication made cutting small pieces of wood on a table saw too dangerous. Lenzo returned to ceramics, creating face jugs and full-body figurative sculptures. 

Wim Roefs