Betty Woodman

Artist Biography

Since 1985 Betty Woodman has collaborated with Master Printer Bud Shark to produce prints with the same inventiveness and exuberance for which she is celebrated in her ceramic work. As a leading American ceramist, Woodman has constantly sought to challenge the known limits of clay. And, just as she explores these boundaries, she takes up the challenge to work in two dimensions exploring possibilities in and methods of printmaking.

In her visual research, Woodman draws on object-making traditions from many cultures and historical times. Often her prints reflect this investigation, making reference to the rich history of ceramics around the world and, more subtly, to the traditions of printmaking. Using Matisse-like cut shapes, Woodman creates playful interiors or scenes. Her “pots” appear as both characters in these environments and as architectural, decorative elements.

Selected Collections: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, MA; Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England

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