Leza Marie McVey (1907–1984) was an American ceramist and weaver. She is known for her large hand-built organic forms.
McVey née Sullivan was born on May 1, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio. [1] She studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927–1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center (1943–1944). [2] In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, and from 1935 to 1947, [3] she worked as a ceramist in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. [2] William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1947, and there she met the Finnish artist Maija Grotell and became friends with the Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu who studied at the Cranbrook Academy from 1951 to 1954. [3] In 1953, McVey returned to her native city of Cleveland and established her studio in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio. [2]
McVey's large-scaled, biomorphic, asymmetrical work is said to reflect her dissatisfaction with wheel-thrown pieces and to have led the way for modern ceramic art in the United States. [2] [3] Influenced by surrealism, her sculptural stoneware and porcelain works embody the natural, organic form. [3] In 1965, the Cleveland Institute of Art presented a major retrospective of her work that included seventy-five large scale sculptures or what she called "ceramic forms." [4] By 1979 McVey's production slowed due to her failing eyesight.
McVey died on September 24, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio. [1]
McVey's work may be found in many collections including the Everson Museum of Art, [5] the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [6] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, [7] and the Syracuse University Art Museum. [8]
In 2002 the art historian Martin Eidelberg wrote a book entitled The ceramic forms of Leza McVey [9] which helped bring her work back into the public eye. [10]
Eidelberg, Martin P., The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey. Hudson, New York: Philmark Publishers, 2002.
Leza Marie McVey (1907–1984) was an American ceramist and weaver. She is known for her large hand-built organic forms.
McVey née Sullivan was born on May 1, 1907 in Cleveland, Ohio. [1] She studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art (1927–1932) and at the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center (1943–1944). [2] In 1932, she married the sculptor William Mozart McVey, and from 1935 to 1947, [3] she worked as a ceramist in Houston, Austin, and San Antonio. [2] William accepted a teaching position at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan in 1947, and there she met the Finnish artist Maija Grotell and became friends with the Japanese-American artist Toshiko Takaezu who studied at the Cranbrook Academy from 1951 to 1954. [3] In 1953, McVey returned to her native city of Cleveland and established her studio in the suburb of Pepper Pike, Ohio. [2]
McVey's large-scaled, biomorphic, asymmetrical work is said to reflect her dissatisfaction with wheel-thrown pieces and to have led the way for modern ceramic art in the United States. [2] [3] Influenced by surrealism, her sculptural stoneware and porcelain works embody the natural, organic form. [3] In 1965, the Cleveland Institute of Art presented a major retrospective of her work that included seventy-five large scale sculptures or what she called "ceramic forms." [4] By 1979 McVey's production slowed due to her failing eyesight.
McVey died on September 24, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio. [1]
McVey's work may be found in many collections including the Everson Museum of Art, [5] the Metropolitan Museum of Art, [6] the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, [7] and the Syracuse University Art Museum. [8]
In 2002 the art historian Martin Eidelberg wrote a book entitled The ceramic forms of Leza McVey [9] which helped bring her work back into the public eye. [10]
Eidelberg, Martin P., The Ceramic Forms of Leza McVey. Hudson, New York: Philmark Publishers, 2002.