Leza McVey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
May 1, 1907
Leza Marie McVey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Leza Marie Sullivan May 1, 1907 Cleveland, Ohio |
| Died | September 24, 1984 (aged 77) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Alma mater | Cleveland Institute of Art |
| Known for | Ceramics, Fiber Art |
| Spouse | William Mozart McVey (m. 1932) |
Leza Marie McVey (1907–1984) was an American ceramist and weaver. She is known for her large hand-built organic forms.
McVey née Sullivan was born on April 30[1] or May 1, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio.[2] She studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927–1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center (1943–1944).[3] Around the early 30's, McVey's vision began to deteriorate, which continued to deteriorate and affected her throughout her career.[4] In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, and from 1935 to 1947,[5] she worked as a ceramist in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.[3]
William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1947, and there McVey met the Finnish artist Maija Grotell. Grotell's creation of large-sized vessels inspired McVey's choice for the majority of her vessels to measure more than 50cm.[4] Based on a recommendation from Grotell, she taught a ceramics course over the summer at Cranbrook. In this time, she also became friends with the Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu who studied at the Cranbrook Academy from 1951 to 1954.[5] In 1953, McVey returned to her native city of Cleveland and established her studio in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio.[3]
McVey's large-scaled, biomorphic, asymmetrical work is said to reflect her dissatisfaction with wheel-thrown pieces and to have led the way for modern ceramic art in the United States.[3][5] Influenced by surrealism, her sculptural stoneware and porcelain works embody the natural, organic form.[5] As time progressed, her works shifted from using round and soft shapes to harder, more geometric shapes.[6] In 1965, the Cleveland Institute of Art presented a major retrospective of her work that included seventy-five large scale sculptures or what she called "ceramic forms."[7] By 1979 McVey's production slowed due to her failing eyesight.
McVey died on September 24, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio.[2]
Collections containing work
McVey's work may be found in many collections including the Everson Museum of Art,[8] the Metropolitan Museum of Art,[9] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[10] and the Syracuse University Art Museum.[11]
