Zoomorphic

Contextual Statement

Material, place, and transformation

Martie’s Zoomorphic sculptures are distinct from her kiln gods and goddesses. The beast forms explore an emotional tug-of-war between conscious and subconscious states. Although many are headless, their physical stance, symmetry, gesture, and arrangement convey strongly anthropomorphic moods. Some works pair beasts with masks, separating the rational self from a deeper intuitive or animal self; others use double-ended or symmetrically divided bodies to embody opposing desires and conflicting values. The series is also connected to Martie’s interest in Jungian archetypes, particularly the Great Mother, and to her belief that certain recurring beast and feminine forms arise from the unconscious psyche. Created from her graduate-school years at the University of New Mexico through her Texas Tech period, these sculptures established an early symbolic vocabulary that continued to inform her later kiln goddess work.