Ruth Duckworth
(German/American, 1919-2009)
Untitled, 1965
stoneware
unsigned
40"h x 35"w x 10 1/2"d

Catalog Note:
A major non-objective sculptor, Ruth Duckworth is best known for her work in ceramics. Studying art in England after fleeing Germany, Duckworth's interest in clay blossomed at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London during the late 1950s. Her success in modernism and abstraction began with intimate decorative porcelain works, eventually arriving at large-scale public installations and wall-based murals. She moved to Chicago in the early 1960s to teach at the University of Chicago. Presented here is a massive stoneware work initially seen at a gallery space in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. This sculpture was ultimately purchased from Duckworth's studio in Pilsen, according to a letter that comes from a previous collector of this monumental example.

Surface dirt in areas throughout. Firing cracks, marks, and textures inherent overall. Examination under UV light reveals some areas of fluorescence, including accretions, some very minor localized surface loss and ceramic where glaze is thin. Overall good condition.

Included with this lot is a period catalog from Exhibit A, Evanston, Illinois. Also included is a general letter from Duckworth to the collector, with a photograph of the sculpture and note signed and dated by Ruth Duckworth.