About the Art
In Three Fores, by Angelica Pozo, humanity and history are united in three intricate works of ceramic tile celebrating the field of social work in Stillman Hall. The large 5-foot-square mosaic tile portraits feature the likenesses of three influential American social workers: Jane Adams (1860-1935), Harry Hopkins (1890-1946) and Whitney Young Jr. (1921-1971). The portraits are each made from 16 porcelain tiles, arranged in a 4-by-4 design, making one large image from multiple, similarly proportioned units. Each portrait is surrounded by a terra-cotta frame ornamented with pairs of interlocking arms, along with symbols reflecting the contributions to the field made by the figure represented.
Each portrait is rendered with every component cast in varying shades of a single brown hue. But close examination reveals that some of the planes (of the background, or in the case of the portrait of Harry Hopkins, the figure’s hat band) also contain words. Collected from the students and faculty of the College of Social Work, these textual citations reflect the many values and responsibilities of the discipline. In that sense, the ongoing education of new social workers in the present reflects the image of their historical forebears.
Collection of The Ohio State University. Funded through the Ohio Percent for Art program.
Material
Glazed porcelain tiles, terracotta relief tiles
Location
Inside of Stillman Hall
About the Artist
Angelica Pozo is a Cleveland-based artist whose work uses the skills of a ceramicist and painter. Born in New York City, she received her BFA from the SUNY College of Ceramics (now known as the New York State College of Ceramics). Eventually settling in the Midwest, she received her MFA from the University of Michigan. Within the national and international ceramics community, Pozo is considered one of the leading authorities in producing and installing handmade tile. While her work often engages with the visual motifs of nature and femininity, she is also frequently commissioned for public works, such as Three Fores, that require her to dive into diverse social issues related to community and education. Her works often play on the relationship between surface and form or text and image.
