Harvey Sadow (US American, b. 1946)
Fire and Flood/Sacred Sites, 1989
ceramic
Gift of Ed and Terry Duffy, 2001.22
10 ½” H x 13” W
Harvey Sadow invokes seemingly opposite natural disasters in this ceramic piece to reference the earth’s sacred cycles of destruction and regrowth. Fire and flood are united by their greater function: they decimate their surroundings while simultaneously paving the way for eventual regeneration through soil revitalization. Nature’s higher power resides in its capacity to harmonize obliteration and creation—yet climate change resulting from human intervention wreaks havoc on this natural balance, skewing the cycle towards devastation. Sadow further implicates the fire/flood dyad in his medium, making a piece with high water content clay and forging it in incredible heat. He further uses red and blue glazing in homage to color pairings traditionally associated with fire and water.