Steven Gootgeld

I am inspired by my personal international experiences, existential psychology, the
cosmic connectedness of us all, architecture and the natural world. My passion is to explore ideas that bring my personal psychology to a new or uncomfortable edge so that I break old patterns of thinking or behavior. Next, I explore what that idea or breakthrough might look like, what colors represent it, or what relationships
of form and texture might convey it. The challenge of putting these ideas into three dimensional ceramic results in sculpture that pushes my medium well beyond accepted limits while conveying ideas that can take me or the viewer out of the ordinary world into a place of reconsideration.

Ceramic offers me a relationship to the mineral kingdom, resulting in a personal grounding. The visceral experience of manifesting thought into form, employing clay, cannot be matched by any other medium.

I am able to stay in my creative space by intentionally creating a simple lifestyle. Constantly regarding everything I hear, see and feel as relationships to in-form my
mind, I am always mentally creating and recreating physical forms.

My iconic animal sculpture represents my relationship to the natural world, while my abstract work represents captured moments of my surreal and existential world.


Portfolio:

Abstract Ceramic Sculpture

This portfolio represents my hand built abstract ceramic sculpture. Each piece is fired up to five times to achieve a depth of glaze and finish that is rare in ceramics. I use a medium-fire stoneware. All firings are done in my wind powered digital kiln.

Angels Among Us “Angels Among Us”

22.5"h x 11"w x 5.5"d, #1 of 1. Recently exhibited in the Harwood Museum of Art "New Mexorado" show.

This sculpture represents 13 "angels" in my life, both living and deceased, who have made significant contributions to my emotional and spiritual growth.

A Night on Pedernal “A Night on Pedernal”

17"h, #1 of 1. This piece is an abstract of Pedernal, a natural geological formation near Abiquiu New Mexico. This butte is believed to be the portal to the physical world by local indigenous culture. Fired four times and trimmed with 18k gold.

A Zen Moment “A Zen Moment”

15.5"h x 14"w x 8"d, #1 of 1. Monolithic in design, this sculpture offers a deep red sphere set in a cosmic fired glaze background, in order that the viewer may use it to initiate a meditative or contemplative experience. Fired four times to achieve iridescent reds and black & white background. Base is a post-firing rust finish.

Bare Balance “Bare Balance”

Reminiscent of skeletal marine life, this sculpture is finished in an iridescent white crackle glaze and a deep blue interior. Fired three times.

Believe “Believe”

12.5"h x 10"w x 4.75"d, #1 of 1. This sculpture was inspired by Japanese architecture. The Kanji symbol for "believe" is hand painted onto acid free paper, which is then suspended on a corroded brass screen. Fired four times. 18k fired gold trim.

Boneyard Cathedral “Boneyard Cathedral”

11.25"h x 14.5"w x 10"d, #1 of 1. This sculpture is an abstraction of a biological skeleton from the sea floor. Fired four times to produce a deep iridescent white crackle and 18k fired gold trim.

Recently exhibited in the Harwood Museum of Art "New Mexorado" show.

Celestial Interlace “Celestial Interlace”

13"h, #1 of 1. This sculpture is an abstract illustrating the intersection of two cosmic ideas based on quantum physics. Fired three times to produce a rich iridescent black and a light turquoise iridescent glaze.

Eager For Light “Eager For Light”

11.5"h x 12.5"w x 3.5"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstract based on thinking outside the box, and the resulting new growth of ideas. Fired two times to produce a deep black and a matte semi-textural earth tone glaze.

Emerald Amaryllis “Emerald Amaryllis”

23.25"h x 12"w x 3.5"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstract of an amaryllis bulb about to reveal its red flower bud. A dear friend of mine annually gifts me an amaryllis bulb in December; the magic and wonder of witnessing its daily growth never ceases to inspire me. Fired four times to produce various iridescent glazes and accented in 18k fired gold. Post fire finish accent of iron rust.

Endless Dream “Endless Dream”

14"h x 11"w x 5"d, #1 of 1. This sculpture is an abstraction representing the repeating cycles of life, ideas and emotions, and as the cycles repeat there is usually a slightly different "shape" to them. Fired three times to produce deep red, black, iridescent white and an earth tone matte glaze.

Entering the Dream “Entering the Dream”

18"h x 10.25"w x 8"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture represents ideas becoming physical manifestations by being conscious of the loose dream state of our universe. The human face/eye is archival ink on archival treated canvas. The ceramic planet and moons are suspended by a spring-loaded copper wire. Fired three times and contains some post-fired finishes.

Focus “Focus”

16"h x 10.5"w x 6"d, #1 of 1 (sold). This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstraction based on oriental temple architecture. The iridescent white circular "lens" reminds us to focus in our lives. Fired five times and some post-fired touches.

Healing the Rift “Healing the Rift”

15"h, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstraction on the idea of healing rifts between ideas, people and nature. Fired four times to produce a rich black iridescence, white crackle, deep red and 18k fired gold trim.

Freedom As Sky “Freedom As Sky”

17.5"h, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstract of clouds in the sky, based on a poem in a Zen book describing the freedom the sky has to be itself. Fired three times to produce white crackle and pale blue iridescent glazes.

Hive Dream “Hive Dream”

9"h x 9"w x 6"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstraction of a wasp hive I discovered in my backyard. Fired three times to produce deep black and black iridescent accent and post fire finish of hand-applied pieces of wasp paper.

Hold Me Gently “Hold Me Gently”

15"h x 9.5"w x 5"d, #1 of 1. This sculpture is an abstract representation of holding someone else's heart in a very gentle, reverential and loving way. Fired three times to produce a white crackle and iridescent pink crackle.

An Idea Crystallized “An Idea Crystallized”

15.25"h, #1 of 1. This sculpture represents a mature idea which has crystallized in the psyche of the viewer. Fired four times to produce a black special effects glaze and a rich iridescent black.

Aspen Grove Homage “Aspen Grove Homage”

21"h x 8.5"w x 8.5"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an homage to the huge old growth aspen grove I visit in the high mountains above Taos, New Mexico. Inside the "temple" contains an actual ceramic imprint of one of the aspens in the grove, first imprinting a negative then a positive. Fired three times to produce a deep black and a rich iridescent gold crackle. Post fired finishes on the aspen bark and corroded copper on the temple window frame.

Let It Go “Let It Go”

17.25"h, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstraction based on the idea of letting go of a prickly idea that separates us from reality or others. Fired three times to achieve a unique charcoal textural and red glaze. "Spines" on the center heart are copper wire.

Moon Temple “Moon Temple”

18.5"h x 9"w x 4.75"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is based on oriental temple architecture and honors the moon. Fired four times to produce white crackle, deep black, iridescent red and 18k fired gold accents. Post fire finish is blackened copper and corroded green copper.

Navigating a Breakthrough “Navigating a Breakthrough”

17"h, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic abstract sculpture is based on the psychological model of breakdown/breakthrough. The soaring white "arc" emerges from the "box" only after the psyche has experienced a breakdown, shattering old ideas. Fired four times to produce rich iridescent black, iridescent red, white crackle, earth tone texture and 18k fired gold.

One Into The Other “One Into The Other”

19"h x 9"w x 4.5"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is based on the idea of the individual welcoming the merging of the Beloved into our lives. The design is based loosely on the pueblo-style architecture of the American Southwest. Fired five times to achieve deep black, iridescent gold crackle, red, dark earth tone matte and 18k fired gold glazes.

Outpost “Outpost”

14"h, #1 of 1. This hand built abstract ceramic sculpture is based on the idea that we all have a safe and/or sacred place inside of us, whether real or imagined, that provides our heart and psyche the safety of a fort or outpost. Fired four times to produce deep cobalt blue, light iridescent turquoise, iridescent black, white crackle and 18k fired gold.

Revealed “Revealed”

11.25"h x 10.5"w x 5"d, #1 of 1. (sold) This hand built ceramic sculpture represents the tough outer skin being stretched to the point of revealing something inside of us. Fired three times.

Sacred Places “Sacred Places”

25"h x 8"w x 8"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is an abstraction of ancient indigenous sites built into cliffs or perched on mountain tops. Fired five times to produce an unique black & white, iridescent white crackle, iridescent red and 18k fired gold glazes. Viewed from the back there is no hint of "dwellings", only when rotated or viewed from the front are they revealed.

Soul of the Machine “Soul of the Machine”

20" x 20", #1 of 1. This wall-hung mixed media piece is an abstraction on the inner workings of a thought system or idea. Mounted in a brushed stainless steel frame, the window reveals part of a ceramic wheel, hand made paper and glass panels.

Windows of the Soul “Windows of the Soul”

9.75"h, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is a representation of three abstract windows into the human soul. Fired four times to produce iridescent pink crackle and 18k fired gold. Post finishes are red acrylics and variegated copper leaf.

Wonder of Growth “Wonder of Growth”

17"h x 10.5"w x 4.5"d, #1 of 1. This hand built ceramic sculpture is influenced by the art deco movement. The bulbous center is nurtured to grow by the supportive side towers, a reference to how our own ideas can grow given support and nurturing. Fired five times to produce deep black, rich red, iridescent gold crackle and 18k fired gold. Post fired rust finish on base.

Fault Line, with hair “Fault Line, with hair”

29"h x 20"w, #1 of 1. This hand built abstract piece is mounted to a wooden frame for wall hanging. Based on the idea of opposing natural and human forces (fault lines). Fired four times to produce textural black, iridescent white crackle iridescent red and 18k fired gold accent. Post fire accent of horse hair.