Jane Grimm

American, b. 1942

Swirl
1992

Earthenware
13.25 x 18.5 x 18.5 in.
Gift of Adrienne Fish
1998.97

Jane Grimm’s Swirl, made in 1992 during the final year of working for her master’s degree, is a large, rotund vessel with a wide foot that swells into a full belly and curves back toward a small opening at the top. The piece is constructed by hand using coils, which are stacked on top of each other and blended together to create a smooth, seamless wall. Grimm then carved slightly curving ridges into the form’s exterior, emphasized through the layering of teal and white glazes, which were custom formulated for this piece to promote variations in color intensity. 

After studying at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and receiving a BA degree from Sarah Lawrence College, Grimm’s career as a jewelry designer took off when her work was featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue magazines. In the early 1970s Grimm moved to San Francisco and began working with clay for the first time, leading to an intensive study of the medium and, eventually, to an MFA degree in ceramics from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Her sculptural work is greatly influenced by her graduate school mentors, Viola Frey and Art Nelson.

Ayla Murray

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This object has the following keywords:

• blue
• stripes
• teal
• white

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Unearthed , 8/23/2022 - 5/14/2023

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