Magdalena Frimkess

This is the first book on the Venice, California-based ceramicist Magdalena Suarez Frimkess (born 1926). Now in her 90s, the Venezuela-born artist is just now getting the recognition she deserves, with her work finding its way into the collections of LACMA and the Hammer Museum. Her unique approach to ceramics—incorporating cartoon characters such as Felix the Cat, Popeye, Olive Oyl, Goofy and Betty Boop as well as more traditional motifs such as landscapes, birds and flowers—has charmed a younger generation of artists such as Jonas Wood, Shio Kusaka, Mark Grotjahn, Lesley Vance and Ricky Swallow, who contributes an essay here. Magdalena Suarez Frimkessoffers a broad range of the colorful autobiographical pieces she has produced over her career. This book also includes a poster of one of her characteristic cartoon works.