ARTS&LIFE ART
‘Cast Illusions’ Jewish artist sculpts story-suggestive pieces, now on display in Detroit. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Colonel Sanders, 2021 Porcelain
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MARCH 10 • 2022
eth Katleman casts porcelain of ornamental 18th-century rococo-seemforms, joined with dolls and found ing designs, coming to her attention objects, to sculpt story-suggestive during study in Italy, and then often using pieces and is showcasing her work through them to present pop culture figures in difMay 14 at Wasserman Projects in Detroit. ferent ways. At times communicating the As part of a group showing titled “Cast artist’s stark impressions, the sculptures Illusions,” her work will appear with pieces also are intended to evoke private narraby three other artists, tives from viewers. each represented by The piece Colonel Sanders, different approaches for instance, uses traditionto materials. While al porcelain to depict the Jessica Dolence prefers pop culture iconic figure digital decoration and otherwise associated with ornamentation, Sarah selling carryout chicken. For Meyohas leans toward a Jewish-themed exhibit, film, photography and Katleman altered what he sculpture, and Victoria was wearing to place him in Shaheen advances clay, a Passover piece commisneon and found objects. sioned by the Contemporary “I haven’t been as Jewish Museum in San familiar with the othFrancisco. Elephant, 2021 Porcelain ers’ work, so I’ve been “Colonel Sanders has excited to see it,” said played different roles in Katleman, 62, based in Brooklyn with my life over the years,” said the three-dia background that includes earning her mensional artist, who visited Michigan for master’s degree at Cranbrook Academy of the exhibit’s opening and to spend time at Art in Bloomfield Hills and later featuring Cranbrook. her decorative projects at the discontinued “When the San Francisco museum Sybaris Gallery in Royal Oak. asked me to do a seder plate, I was look“I think this exhibit is an interesting ing around my studio and thinking about juxtaposition of different materials and who was going to play Moses. Then I saw different thought. I guess the unifying facColonel Sanders. He already had a staff tor is some relation to casting or industrial [for walking], and I put a little head scarf processes in our work.” on him [and a flowing robe] so it worked What distinguishes Katleman is her use out.”
