THE WORK AND THE ARTIST

Artist: Jaffe, Amanda         

Title: Cat & Dog Fur Patterns, 1988

Description of the work:  

This piece is a tile mural, composed of 120-two inch square tiles. The coloration and patterning on the tiles are inspired by the fur of cats and dogs. The hair on the left side and middle rectangle are a mixture of yellow and black while the wedge-shaped set of tiles on the right are light brown and white. The fur texture from one tile does not always align to the texture on the adjoining piece. The tiles have the appearance of being mixed and turned, drawing the eye in every direction.

Jaffe’s tile mural is a mixture of organic decoration with geometric construction. Each square offers a close-up look at a small section of spotted and speckled fur. This piece, like many of Jaffe’s works, allows the viewer a chance to connect with the products of nature and its splendor. The tiles are made from a Cone 5 slip which is cast in plaster molds. The casts are then incised and colored with underglaze

Artist’s Biography:

Amanda Jaffe began her work as an artist in the 1970s, working in mixed media installations. Jaffe’s ceramic art was inspired by Roman and Byzantine mosaics from Italy as well as Islamic tiles from Spain and North Africa. She uses bright colors and asymmetrical carved designs in her tiles which are usually inspired by nature and water. Her work, while usually small in scale is incredibly intricate and visually harmonious.

Jaffe is a Professor emeritus from New Mexico State University who taught ceramics in the Department of Art from 1985-2011 and was an inspiration to her students and a number of artists. Her work has been exhibited across the nation from Los Angeles, CA to New York, NY. Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), Wichita Center for the Arts, the Archie Bray Foundation, and many more. Since retiring, Jaffe is still actively making art.

FACTS      

Signed: N/A 

Date and dimension: 1988, Frame: 27.5″x23.5″, Tiles: 23.5″x19.5″, Each tile: 2″x2″

Medium: White earthenware with underglaze

Accession #:  2011.03

Condition: Fair

Provenance and Exhibitions: 2011 “Looking Back/Looking Forward: 1978-2011, A Retrospective,” University Art Gallery, Las Cruces, NM.

Framed or Flat: Framed    

Current location: This piece is part of the University Art Gallery’s permanent collections at New Mexico State University.

Bibliography:

-Kane, Suzanne. “The Cultivated Ceramics of Amanda Jaffe.” Ceramics Technical, no. 21 (2005): 47-49.

-Held, Peter “Amanda Jaffe: Infinite Space.” Retrieved from http://amandajaffe.com/retrospective-catalog.html

-http://amandajaffe.com/about.html

Reproductions: N/A

Researched By: Jennifer Abeyta, 13 November 2016