Without a doubt, body language is a powerful indication of humanity. . . our individual personalities (as well as our changing emotions) are revealed by the way we stand, sit, cross our arms, nod our heads, and hundreds of other subconscious cues.
Linda Lewis, this week’s featured artist, effortlessly captures those defining moments of humanity with her uniquely textured, fire-hardened clay sculptures.
It’s not hard to imagine a story unfolding around the image below. Hands on hips with head held high and a knowing look in her eyes, this woman isn’t one to be trifled with.
She’s Still Got Sass is the name of the piece, and it shows in the crook of her elbow, the flare of her nose, and the no-nonsense bun pulled back and done up for business.
30 Years, 8.5 Hours a Day, on the other hand, tells a different story entirely.
Worn out and used up, this sculpture reflects a long life of weary work-filled hours. The texture on this piece is fantastic, too—a charred and crumbling shell for a dried-up life.
In every line and nick, in the texture and coloring of her sculptures, Linda allows emotion and life to flow unrestricted. The physical characteristics of her pieces may be exaggerated or distorted, but when they are, it only serves to enhance the emotive qualities present present in the clay.
For example, Intimacy, below, shows the power of touch, the feel of skin on skin, and the importance of a lover’s embrace with larger-than-life hands and numerous textural marks up and down each figure.
Just as colors fascinate the eyes, texture makes touch come alive—turning the sculpture above into a truly great metaphor for the intimacy it represents.
To see more sculptures by Linda Lewis, visit her website at LindaLewisArt.com