Bidspirit auction | Daisy Youngblood ”Sitting Horse” Ceramic

Daisy Youngblood ”Sitting Horse” Ceramic Sculpture - Daisy Youngblood (American, b. 1945). Low-fire clay and pigment sculpture titled ”Sitting Horse” depicting a seated and elongated equine figure, 1996. The singular eye peering from the lower third of the torso above crossed legs, suggest a meditative posture, indicating Buddhist theology and influence. With a label along the underside reading ”powdered dry pigment put on raw gum turpentine. zinc white and alizarin crimson.” Provenance: McKee Gallery, New York, 1996; From the Estate of Gary Fink. Lot Essay: Daisy Youngblood is widely regarded as one of the foremost introspective and spiritually resonant sculptors working in late twentieth-century American ceramics. Born in North Carolina and later based in New Mexico, she emerged in the 1970s with a distinctive sculptural style characterized by contemplative heads and partial torsos executed in unfired or low-fire clay, frequently combined with found materials such as bone, rusted metal, or animal remnants. Her objects evoke ancient ritual effigies and archetypal figures rooted in global traditions while maintaining a modern dialogue with Process Art and post-Minimalist sculpture. Youngblood’s process is intensely tactile and meditative. Each figure is hand-built slowly, often pressed with marks of the artist’s fingertips and shaped with an economy of gesture that nonetheless conveys psychological complexity. Her sculptures exist at the intersection between the archaic and the psychological, inviting viewers to confront themes of mortality, grief, memory, and transformation through seemingly spare yet haunting forms. In 2003 Youngblood was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in recognition of her unique contribution to ceramics and sculpture. Her work is held in major collections including MoMA and SFMOMA. Though her output remains relatively modest, it is deeply influential. Collectors and institutions prize her pieces for their emotional gravity and formal purity. Gary C. Fink was a collector with both a lighthearted sense of humor and a serious commitment to art. Through the Museum Louvre It or Leave It, he offered Minnesotans an offbeat, thought-provoking experience; through MIA gifts, he broadened institutional collections; and through his scholarship, he continues to enable the next generation of artists. A Renaissance soul in the heart of Minnesota’s art community, Gary C. Fink was more than an astute collector - he was a spirited patron whose unconventional vision left an indelible mark on the creative landscape. Height: 12 3/4 in x width: 8 in x depth: 5 in. Condition: Please email us at condition@revereauctions.com for a condition report or additional photos.