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James
Phillips
Born
(1946) and educated in Kentucky
(Master’s degree in Studio Art from
Murray State University, 1974) I was
trained primarily as a functional
potter with a traditional vision of
contemporary sculpture. When I moved
to Florida and encountered massive sea
turtles and 10 to 12 foot manatees and
alligators, I was immediately
fascinated by the size, diversity and
beauty of the wildlife that was so
exotic and different from what I had
been exposed to in Kentucky. This had
a profound influence on my ceramic
sculpture.
The
Work
Each
sculpture is individually wheel-thrown
and/or hand sculpted using unique clay
forming techniques. These methods give
my creations a fluid, wrinkled natural
look that is hard to achieve using
traditional construction methods.
My
fascination with Florida fauna
manifests itself in my
characterizations of ceramic gators,
lizards, pelicans, ibis, sea turtles,
sharks, armadillos, frogs, and fish of
every description. Look carefully at
each manatee sculpture and see the
pattern of propeller diagonal cuts on
it’s back. When a patron obtains one
of my manatee sculptures they may be
especially mindful of the dangers
faced by these magnificent creatures.
MudTurtleCreations
are currently exhibited at the Wolfe
Contemporary Gallery in Deland
Florida, The Artistic Hand in Oviedo,
Florida and at Café Tu Tu Tango on
International Drive in Orlando Florida.
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