Beverly Mangham

I have been creating my assemblage-collage style works since about 1992. These I develop from a variety of materials: urban cast-offs and refuse, ordinary everyday items – kitchen utensils, tin cans, or children’s doll parts; often more unusual, eclectic, or even collectible items such as old boxes, jewelry, old advertising and memorabilia. These I salvage from thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets and antique shops. The final shape and message of my piece is often influenced by whatever materials present themselves during the search.

I have ten years experience working in the ceramic arts. My sculptures are constructed using conventional shop components, basic tools and traditional hardware; my work is crafted from low-fire raku clay. I give particular attention to the use of adhesives appropriate for the multitude of materials I use. Most of my items are either wired or bolted together for the purpose of assuring sturdy, durable construction. By combining, juxtaposing and redefining ordinary objects and cultural icons, I hope to initiate a visual conversation with the viewer. My passion for poetry and lyrical messages are, I believe, apparent in the final translations. I like to build visual and intellectual surprises, perhaps a cliche or thinly disguised bit of humor into each piece I make. I want to offer the audience a treat beyond the visual image.

I am influenced daily by all that surrounds me. My work hints of a childhood spent in New Orleans and my many travels in Central America. My inspiration springs from the daily life I live in the rural Texas hill country with my husband and fellow artist, Billy Ray Mangham, and a family of wonderful animals.