April 21 – August 10, 2005
Reception: April 21, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Presented by the Oakland Museum of California Professional Services division
Professional Services Exhibition Archive

Jane Grimm, Unicorn, 1993– 2004, ceramic, 48” x 18”

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) Off-Site presents Jane Grimm: The Chess Set at The Sculpture Court in Oakland City Center. This exhibition features 16 monumental chess pieces, inspired by themes of femininity, war and the frivolity of life.

San Francisco artist Jane Grimm has been a practicing ceramic sculptor for over 30 years. Once a jewelry designer and manufacturer, Grimm has spent the past fifteen years exploring the theme of life as a game through her artwork. Depicting people as bowling pins, billiard balls and dartboard targets, her humorous sculptures reflect her observation that we are pawns in the game of life and therefore should not take it too seriously.

As this metaphorical theme evolved for Grimm, she began developing a series of female busts placed on columns, each adorned with symbolic imagery, such as tears, flames and vines. She supplemented these female icons with new ceramic pieces – pawns, towers, bishops and unicorns – to complete The Chess Set. The pieces are monumental in scale, measuring up to 6’ in height. For Grimm, the large scale was an important element in emphasizing the power of the pieces. The neutral color palette further underscores this implication of force.

Jane Grimm, Castle, 1993 – 2004, ceramic, 38” x 18”

The characters in Grimm’s set are of her own creation and only loosely based on those in a traditional chess set. While chess is often thought of as a dignified and cultured endeavor, Grimm’s pieces reflect the aggression, power and strategy of the game. She incorporates her own iconography to explore the dichotomous issues of femininity and war. “The queen is the ultimate weapon in defense of the king. Although she is blindfolded or gagged, she retains ultimate power,” explains Grimm. “While the unicorn is a symbol of chastity, it also can represent, with its twisted horn, an ambassador for the king during wartime. Fire and tears emitting from the eyes suggest the duality in thoughts of war – anger and fear, destruction and healing.”

Grimm was born and raised in San Francisco, where she is currently living and working as a ceramic sculptor. She received her education on the East Coast at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at Sarah Lawrence College in New York State. After completing her formal training, she began her career as a jewelry designer and manufacturer in New York City. Her jewelry was featured in magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue and was sold in many department stores and boutiques across the U.S. and Europe.

While still on the East Coast, Jane started working with clay in the early 70's. She taught jewelry making and began raising her family. Upon returning to San Francisco, she continued to create jewelry while embarking on a more intensive study of clay. The sculptures in The Chess Set are coil-built using low-fire clay, underglazes and glazes.

In 1992, she received her MFA in Ceramics with High Distinction from the California College of Arts and Crafts, having studied with Viola Frey and Art Nelson. Her sculpture has been on display nationally in many museums, galleries and alternative spaces. She also has received corporate art commissions.

Her most recent exhibitions include Contemporary Craft at the Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont, CA; Calm, Cool and Collected at the Richmond Art Center, Richmond, CA; and Subtractions & Additions: Ceramic Sculpture and Installations at the Ft. Mason San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art.

Jane Grimm: The Chess Set is presented by the Oakland Museum of California in partnership with Shorenstein Realty Services. The exhibition is part of a changing exhibition series at Oakland City Center and represents an ongoing collaboration between the museum and Shorenstein to showcase contemporary artists. The Sculpture Court is located in the rear atrium lobby of 1111 Broadway.

Organized by the Professional Services division of the Oakland Museum of California.