Debra Fritts (American, b. 1953), Figure on Wheel

Lot Details & Additional Photographs

Circa 1990, hand-built and multi-glazed ceramic, metal, sculpted as a two-part tall ceramic figure with central rod mount, standing on a spoked iron wheel.

87 x 37 x 27 in.

The Collection of Karen & Robert Milnes, Asheville, North Carolina

Sculptor Debra Fritts uprooted from Tennessee to Abiquiu, New Mexico where she works out of her "STUDIO ONE THIRTY NINE." Her work is inspired by her surroundings and works intuitively with themes that are autobiographical or shaped by her life experiences. Her work is represented Leiper's Creek Gallery in Franklin, Tennessee, JonesWalker Gallery in Taos, New Mexico; and Trove Gallery in Park City, Utah.

"As a child I had dirt under my fingernails. I continue to allow the earth to feed me information for my art and daily living. Working intuitively from pounds of wet clay, forms appear and stories develop. I may be questioning an occurrence or celebrating a relationship or just being present in daily life. The search continues until I reach the core: the spiritual level of the sculpture. Then the work can speak. At the present, I am exploring new territory in the west while embracing my southern heritage. I am touching ground, getting to the basics, and listening.

I hand build each sculpture, primarily using thick coils, and fire three to five times depending on the color and surface I am trying to achieve. I approach color on clay as a painter. My palette is a combination of oxides, slips, underglazes, and glazes. The form of the piece informs how I should approach the surface."

Good condition; some minor paint loss and rust spotting to metal.