Ruth Duckworth (1919-2009, Germany) 

Untitled (#22686)
1986
Porcelain; ht. 13, wd. 11 in.

Few 20th century artists have worked with porcelain as dramatically and as unconventionally as Duckworth. Porcelain is referred to by potters as being a 'tight' body, meaning that is has little plasticity and is ungenerous in modeling. Porcelain is not actually a clay but a paste that is manufactured. In Duckworth's hands porcelain takes on organic vitality. This work is one of the artist's finest bird studies, large and spacious, its abstracted wings creating a powerful white arc. It is named Untitled as is most of Ruth's work because the artist believes that titles are limiting. When the matter of the birds and titles was raised she argued that if she named it "all the viewer would see is a bird. Without a title they may see something else, an angel maybe [another of Duckworth's winged series]. I do want to restrict the metaphors my work can unleash". The architecture of this piece is important, the "body" is held in place at the back by a porcelain pin giving the work an almost mechanical character.

Reference: Lauria, Jo and Birks, Tony. Modernist Sculptor. Aldershot (UK): Lund Humpries, 2005.

Minute chips to edge of wing.