Art Statement

 I started my career in the early 1980s sculpting figurative pieces in wood from trees, followed by abstract pieces. Then from scrap wood I found in woodworking shops I  created more refined  abstract pieces and furniture.

 In 1986, my work underwent a radical change and I began working in clay.  I was attracted to terra cotta because of the variety of colors and textures it offered and the richness and depth of different clays. I also like the ease in molding it and using my hands and not tools to create the sculpture. I often used different clays in combination with each other to achieve dimension through color and surface texture. By doing this I create a natural, guttural depth and deep emotional expression. My work gives a strong feeling of connection to the earth.

 I created 3-D abstract and figurative works referencing anatomical forms, animals, nature, as well as, simple geometric shapes. Some pieces were cast in bronze and in stone. I have over the years added wall reliefs, giving a textured dimension. I have continued to use unglazed terra cotta as my primary medium; at times I glaze and paint the pieces, adding another dimension.

 The threads that weave my sculptures together are the bonds between nature and spirit.  The evocation of these relationships gives the work serene and contemplative tones, offering viewers a visual sanctuary and opportunities for reflection. The surface is worked to obtain a variety of forms that elicit sensory messages to beckon viewers to experience each sculpture by touching it with their fingers and eyes. My work has a range that is accessible and positive

 “ Dorothy Frankel’s sculptures are an exploration of form, and most especially texture. Exhibited outside, her Circle 18 serves as both an object to be contemplated and a frame for the glimpses of landscape as the viewer moves around the large piece. Her sculptures have a highly worked surface, enhancing the viewer’s awareness of hand manipulated texture, an unstructured surface foiled by the context of pure geometric form. Her relief sculptures also recall this convergence of seeming divergent themes. Relief 29 evokes the bumpy features of a contour map, with a snaky fissure offering the impression of a river trisecting the landscape of clay. Though not as overwhelmingly large as Circle 18 and Triangle, the deep impasto of the surface of this relief has a monumental effect that can envelope the visitor into the contemplative environment it creates.” Erin Hayes

Biography

The work of sculptor Dorothy Frankel has been exhibited in galleries, museums  and installation sites throughout the Northeast, including City of New York Parks and Recreation Public Art, New York City, New York, Guild  Hall Museum, East Hampton, NY, Peace Arch Park, in Blaine, Washington;  Pratt Institute Sculpture Park, Brooklyn, NY  and  Hampton Road Gallery, the Mark Humphrey Gallery, the RVS Gallery in Southampton, New York; Gallery Merz,  Tulla Booth Gallery in Sag Harbor, BelleArte Gallery in West Hollywood, California, The Perlman Music Program, Shelter Island, NY, Burlington County College in Burlington,  New Jersey,   and The Fells, Newbury, New Hampshire.  In addition, her sculptures are in private and public collections throughout the United States, including those of the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, Pratt Institute Sculpture Park, Brooklyn, The Natures Conservancy, East Hampton, New York;  The Animal Rescue Fund of The Hamptons, Wainscott, New York, the AutoSplice Company in San Diego,  The Timberlake Farms, North Carolina;.