Articles

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In her latest sculptural series, Morgan Janssen finally confronts an age-old problem with pottery—it just kinda sits there. “They’re not interacted much with once they’re put on display,” she says. “I liked the idea of inviting people to touch.” Enter Janssen’s Cliff Notes, a series of kinetic sculptures designed to be nudged, pushed, rolled and poked with, at least, mild abandon. Rounded and hollow, they look built to wander and dangerous to prod, but weighted slabs affixed to the interior keep each piece lazily wombling back to its original orientation instead of bumbling away. Further confounding the gravitational equation, sculpted brass “tropiflora” easily attach to any piece via internal magnets, making each sculpture—and its movement—customizable and just a bit unpredictable. Irreverent yet inherently fragile, the tension brings a visceral excitement to the ceramic arts not seen since the brief but tragic ceramic shark cage craze of 1965.

Excerpt

Morgan Janssen received her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and is a graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design. She has exhibited work in Art Basel Miami Beach, the Museum of Fine Art, St. Petersburg, Mercedes Benz Financial Services, and with group shows throughout the state of Florida. Currently, Morgan remains connected within the Sarasota community as an artist and an instructor with Ringling and State College of Florida.