Fungi, Feathers, and Insects Spring from Carol Long’s Art Nouveau Vessels

a ceramic vessel with curvy handles and red, white polka dotted mushrooms

All images © Carol Long, shared with permission

Midwestern flora and fauna are the foundation for Carol Long’s lavishly adorned sculptures, which elegantly meld Art Nouveau embellishments with natural motifs. The Kansas-based artist (previously) continues her process of pushing and pulling the sides of a thrown vessel to achieve exaggerated proportions. Bublous bases, thin, curvy handles, and wobbly openings are characteristic of her ceramic sculptures, which she garnishes with slip-trail textures evoking fungi gills or bushy bunny tails.

Long has pieces in several shows, including at the Salina Art Center through October 15, 2023, and Fuller Craft Museum through January 28, 2024. She’s currently experimenting with adding molds and casts to her process and preparing to send a few sculptures to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference this spring with In Tandem Gallery. Explore an archive of her works on Instagram.

gilled purple forms evocative of mushrooms cloak a vessel with spindly handles

pink lilies and koi fish cover the front of a vessel with spindly handles

a red and white polka dotted base holds a greenish vessel with three mushrooms poking from the top

a vessel embellished lik ea peacock feather with spindly, curvy handles

a dragonfly adorns a ceramic vessel with curly handles

a brown rabbit leaps over a lavishly embellished vessel

a dragonfly with mosaic wings adorns a ceramic box-like work with green leaves at the top

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