Woodman’s “Pillow Pitcher” series is not only inspired by the Cretan pitchers from the Minoan civilization (about 3000–1100 B.C.), but is created as if from that era, mimicking the basic technique used to create them, and also featuring elaborate designs.
The American artist Betty Woodman’s contemporary work invokes the ancient traditions of the ceramic arts in Egypt, China, and Greece, imparting new life into vases, pitchers, cups, and the human form. Woodman’s “Pillow Pitcher” series is not only inspired by the Cretan pitchers from the Minoan civilization (about 3000–1100 B.C.), but is created as if from that era, mimicking the basic technique used to create them, and also featuring elaborate designs. To create a pitcher, Woodman pinched two cylindrical pots together from one end to the other horizontally, then concealed the jointed area by wrapping a strip of clay around the middle section, which also forms the pitcher spout and handle. After drying, firing, and glazing, she painted the vessels in the styles of Matisse and Picasso.