Spencer Stuart — Downdraft Vase — ArtCentre of Plano

2023, Glazed Ceramic Stoneware, 12.5x16x12.5 in. Born in the Midwest, raised in Europe, returned to the US carrying an indelible impression made during visits to European museums and extensive international travel. Worked in the private sector, traveled the world, and settled down on the north end of an East Texas lake. Now, the ideas which have been gestating for many years have been able to be translated into three dimensions. Mr. Stuart’s body of work includes a limited number of functional mugs, platters, vases, and fanciful cigar ash trays but his main focus is his ceramic sculpture creations based on themes paying homage to artwork found throughout Mesoamerica. Additional themes include representations of emerging life forms and elements of Texas weather. Inspired by sculptors like David Smith, Alexander Calder, and Fernand Leger, his ceramic sculptures often incorporate hard-edged geometric shapes which contrast with the soft plasticity of the clay.