Ani's Pegasus

Ani was 7 years old when during an art class at a summer camp she let her art take shape through clay. She was a gifted drawer but she had never attempted pottery. So, she took a class in the ceramic art of pottery making, but instead of making a pot she gave wings to the clay by shaping a Pegasus out of it!

She was not happy with her work, but I saw real talent in the shapes and angles. So, instead of just throwing away the day’s work at camp as most kids did, I kept the Pegasus.

That was 14 years ago. When Ani died in 2005, all her drawings, paintings, writings and other artwork became a legacy and were kept in a safe place. Including this Pegasus made of clay but never fire-baked to resist time.  Indeed, the clay has dried to become brittle and prone to breaking. I kept it away from the elements, but still pieces broke, just because they are expected. And I repaired them as well as I could.

During our last relocation, while I wrapped the small and brittle artwork in many layers of protective bubble-wrap, pieces broke again. And I repaired them again, this time unable to hide the break lines and crumbled parts. So, this morning I decided to take pictures of Ani’s work.

Here is “Ani’s Pegasus” in profile. It is about 6 inches tall. Yet, one can see the amazing gift of proportionality, body-posture, and expression a 7 year old girl was able to put together the first time she played with clay. Over the years I have looked at this Pegasus from all its angles and remain amazed by its curvatures, the expression of the head and face, and the feel it gives of a dialogue with the observer.

Here are details of its head:

And my favorite angle for a dialogue before it opens its wings and takes off. As Ani did.

… I am delighted I kept this humble work of art, even if it is crumbling with time. Every time I look at it, I see an artist who did not have a chance to share her talent, but in the short 12 years she was with us, she was my artist, my little girl with a lot of promises.

October 20, 2014

© Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2014