Madison, WI ARTIST STATEMENTAs a sculptor, Grimm's work appropriates historical figuration derived from the content of fables and myths that are then reinterpreted and pushed to physical limits through the materiality of ceramics. Grimm's artworks offer a glimpse into the ominous side of fables that presents a history that is at once revealed and concealed through figurines, fairytales and myths. The history of the figurine within art history in general, and ceramics in particular is a complex and rich base for her to work from. An often-overlooked art, these historical works offer an uncanny union at once wonderful, elegant and fanciful but also uncomfortable and awkward as stories about dolls, puppets and statues come to life and illustrate the undercurrents of contemporary culture. BIOGRAPHYBorn and raised in what was then the German Democratic Republic, Grimm had the privilege of being classically trained as a production potter and working as a journeyman for notable German craftsmen before arriving in the United States. Utilizing traditional ceramic craft processes, she developed an innovative and distinct approach to making sculpture with wheel-thrown parts and my work seeks to render the formless material of clay into figures that resonate with wonder and makes the familiar increasingly strange. Devoid of color and increased in scale, the objects Grimm produces move away from the seemingly whimsical nature of their original source both in terms of physical size and technical virtuosity. Over the past decade her work has been part of a larger discussion of the re-emergence of figuration in ceramics, and an overt embrace of the decorative arts in general. Grimm finds great power in working from this historical base, and the opportunity it presents for questioning the boundaries between kitsch and high art. Before coming to Madison to teach in the area of ceramics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she held teaching positions at California State University at Long Beach, Pitzer College, Doane college and Montana State University at Bozeman. Grimm has been the recipient of artist residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art, the LH project, The Archie Bray Foundation, The McColl Center and the Kohler Arts/Industry Program – all recognized for their significant place in American ceramics. Concurrent with the period of my hire at Madison, she also presented a solo exhibition at the Long Beach Museum of Art, Gerit Grimm: Beyond the Figurine, which was based on holdings from the museum’s permanent collection.