Kristen Morgin takes an unconventional approach to ceramics, using her Trompe l’oeil sculptures and assemblages to explore personal nostalgia, obsolescence, and the American dream. Her works, ranging in scale from recreations of full-size cars and orchestral instruments to tiny knick-knacks and toys, appear as found objects but are in fact raw, unfired clay. Substituting paint and collage for the gloss of traditional ceramic glazes, Morgin achieves a garage-sale aesthetic in which thrift-store heroes like Popeye and Mighty Mouse preside and vintage playthings find new meaning. The sculptures represent a poignant investigation of the value of the old in a world intent on the new, invoking a sense of bygone innocence, loss, and isolation.
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Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? For answers, be prepared for a little detective work.
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Your favorite pieces from SAAM’s collection are now on display alongside new works in the redesigned modern and contemporary galleries
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