David Gilhooly

Bread Frog as a Coffee Break

1981-82

  • Glazed eathenware; hand-wrought
  • 23 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (59.7 x 39.4 x 16.5 cm)
  • Gift of Rebecca Cooper Waldman, through the American Craft Council, 1986
  • 1986.5

glossary terms

glaze, earthenware

material

Ceramic

location

On View, 3rd Floor Gallery, Freestanding Case

marks

none

artist quote

"Bread frogs were never happy with their condition in life which was basically being a load of bread with poppy seeds, mercilessly accompanied by pigeons who like to eat the excess poppy seeds. So they were always making themselves into something else, various kinds of pies like pumpkin and vanilla cream or boiling bagels or acting center pieces at Thanksgiving. And they could get even more perverted, perverted in the sense that they were denying their true nature. So here we have one being the ideal purveyor of coffee break materials in an office building." --Artist quote on object
back to top

materials & techniques

Process? You have a lump of clay already pretty frog like and will even go through the same metamorphosis as a frog and you twist it around and you squeeze it and then you get something that pleases you. You might make the head first so it will have some personality and then the body and extremities and than any extra parts like coffee cups and when they all stiffen up sufficiently, you mush up the contact points with some water and stick them together. When dry you bisque fire them and when that is done you glaze them and fire again and in this case you add seeds with some acrylic varnish and attach the cups and there you are! --Written by Monseurat Galarza (ArtsLife High School Intern), February 2010
back to top