Victor Spinski Retrospective

The Clay Studio is pleased to salute the life and legacy of ceramic sculptor Victor Spinski, who passed away on January 21, 2013 at the age of 72. Throughout his life, Spinski always balanced virtuosic craftsmanship with his sharp wit and conceptual rigor. His trompe l’oeil works required viewers to question their assumptions about clay… and quite possibly, reality itself. Spinski was a legendary raconteur, and his sculptures are infused with his stories, pranks and wordplay.

Victor Spinski’s life was as idiosyncratic and unusual as his art. He escaped the Nazi occupation of Poland with his parents and spent much of his childhood in refugee camps and military bases as his father worked for the Allies and underground resistance. After moving to the United States, he received a bachelor’s degree in Russian literature, then served in Vietnam, where he was severely injured. After receiving extensive rehabilitation, Spinski received an MFA in Ceramics from Indiana University and moved to Delaware, where he taught for 38 years before his retirement in 2006.

This exhibition originated at at West Chester University’s Knauer Gallery. The Clay Studio would like to gratefully acknowledge the support of John Baker and Sally Van Orden, who made this exhibition possible.

Most of the works pictured here are available for sale.  Please contact Jennifer Zwilling, Curator of Artistic Programs with any purchase inquiries, 215-925-3453, ext. 18.