reviews > Detroit, MI

Sarah Metzler
Sarah Metzler

A chartreuse and forest dragon curled tight, an angel weeping over a stone well, a whorled tree trunk and a glittery sunrise octopus—Sarah Metzler has convincingly shaped these and other subjects out of clay and paint. Her technique is capable and allows for moments of real artistry: a deep rose glaze pools around the edges of a floral finger bowl, allowing the design to surface organically; watery blue-green glass crackles at the bottom of the well, magical tears from an unearthly creature; a forest of mossy colors grows along the edges of the trunk’s bark, because real bark is not ever just brown. This art—of unexpected color and inventive material—happens despite Metzler’s chosen themes, whose cloying nature belies the sincerity of her efforts and abilities.

—Lori Waxman 11/28/15 2:24 PM