Description
The abstract ceramic and enamel sculpture 00072, crafted in fired ceramic, represents one of the deepest explorations of zoomorphic form in Mandiola’s work. The bird is reduced to its visual essence: a body glazed in dark brown, almost black, with a cream outline that traces the silhouette with precision and restraint. The incised striped markings on the wings and tail possess a graphic quality that evokes both folk ceramic traditions and modern abstraction.
The base—small legs with dark enamel mottled in amber—endows the form with an organic vitality that the simplified body amplifies rather than contradicts. Mandiola’s ceramic birds belong to a tradition of animal forms in Chilean and Latin American ceramics that extends from pre-Columbian zoomorphic vessels to contemporary studio practice. The high-temperature firing process produces a surface of genuine depth and materiality, visible in the variations of the dark glaze throughout the piece.
This is not a decorative object, but a concise sculptural statement, where the reduction of the bird to its most essential visual elements becomes a form of precision and expressive clarity. A unique work, handmade by Chilean artist Luis Mandiola. Available for collectors of contemporary ceramics and sculpture.
“High-fired ceramic and enamel. Year 1973. 9.1 x 6.7 x 3.1 in.”
