Diane Mayo

Opening November 2, 2012 and on view through January 6, 2013, The Drawing Room is pleased to present an exhibition of new ceramic vessels by Diane Mayo concurrent with a show of Sharon Horvathʼs mixed media paintings.

A longtime resident of Montauk, Diane Mayo has been hand building idiosyncratic sculpture in clay for more than two decades. Inspired by ancient Cypriot pottery, Mayoʼs recent work fuses her penchant for inventive and whimsical sculptural shapes with a rich new morphology of ancient vernacular forms. From low handled bowls with subtle assymetrical elements to a towering columnar vessel anchored by a biomorphic tripod base, this colorful body of work reveals Mayoʼs command of the expressive potential of structure and surface ornamentation.

The curious and commanding clay shapes introduced in this series emanate from Bronze Age vessels Mayo encountered in Desmond Morrisʼs 1985 book, The Art of Ancient Cyprus. Through approrpriation and reinvention, Mayo imbues each work with a unique sculptural presence, incorporating exaggerated cut-away spouts, multiple swelling curves, and handles that articulate unexpected profiles that both conjure and transcend their ancient ritual origins. Whether elemental or elaborate and multi-bodied, Mayoʼs Cypriot ʻcontainersʼ evolve through a long process in which each stage contributes significantly to the texture, color and character of the final form.

See below for full press release and selected works.