Michael Lucero (American, b. 1953) Untitled (Devil), USA, 1977

Earthenware, stains, chicken wire

(H: 70, W: 28, D: 17 in.)

Qty: (1)

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist
Property from the Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection

Exhibited

"Young Americans", Tucson Museum of Art, May 6-June11, 1978, Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York July 21-September 30, 1978.
"Robert L. Pfannebecker Collection. A Selection of Contemporary American Crafts". Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania October 17 - November 20, 1980.
"Poetics of Clay: An International Perspective", Philadelphia Art Alliance, 2001; Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland, 2002; Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, 2003;

Literature

American Crafts Council, Young Americans: Clay/Glass, exh. cat., New York, 1978, pl. 35, p. 18 (present lot illustrated)
Mark Leach and Dr. Barbara Bloemink, Michael Lucero: Sculpture 1976-1995, Hudson Hills Press/Mint Museum of Art, New York/North Carolina, 1996, pp. 21, 33, 66-67 (related works illustrated)

Artist Biography

Sculptor and ceramic artist Michael Lucero was born in Tracy, California in 1953. He earned a B.A. from Humboldt State University (1975) and an M.F.A. (1978) from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he studied under ceramist and conceptual artist Howard Kottler. Working across a variety of mediums—from clay and fabric to steel and stoneware—and often in series, Lucero demonstrates “a reverence for high art, affection for folk art, nostalgia for nature, and curiosity about other cultures” in his polychrome sculptures. Simultaneously autobiographical and attuned to stylistic cues from pre-Columbian, Native American, European, and American folk art, Lucero’s work deftly commingles tradition with innovation. In addition to numerous private collections, examples of Lucero’s work can be found in the permanent collections of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Art; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Mostly intact; a number of elements with breaks and losses to lower segments, generally concentrated to outer areas of arms (hands); approximately thirty pieces have losses; a handful of elements likely detached and lost; no indication of replaced elements, a few pieces potentially reglued post-production; left foot of figure missing four toes; a few losses to lower edge of head elements. Presents well in person.