Current Work — The New Pluto, Small Cosmos Wall Pieces, the Planet Series & Tribute 9/11
My recent work addressing the planets, and the unfathomable cosmos by which we are surrounded, is really about us here on Earth. Our sense of place, and the size of our imaginations, have had to stretch to include the immense new landscape of space. Somehow, it has deepened our interior space as well—my workplaces us in these new surroundings.
Most Recent Work COUNSEL OF THE CREATURES 2020
I am worried about the human species we continue to do bad things to ourselves, each other, and the Earth. Not knowing where to turn, I looked to the counsel of the creatures who live in my backyard. These pieces are their response.
Paula Rice 2020 | Tom Alexander, the photographer of the pieces
The Great Frog instructs the people how to behave themselves.
The Great Frog patiently explains the nature of higher reality.
The Great Frog whispers to the people to calm down and think.
The housefly speaks: I fly as high as I can! You can too!
The Spider of Truth speaks: "Catch only what is true."
The Great Toad instructs the people to think before they speak.
Ants excitedly explain the rudiments of how to get along with one another.
The snail patiently explains how not to rush into things.
The cockroach speaks: "You know, you really need to pick up your trash."
The Beautiful Beetle eagerly explains the rudiments of civil discourse.
Bees explain the fundamentals of working with a larger community.
Early Work by Paula Rice — Lazarus Series, Fire Series, Raku Wall pieces & Chinese porcelains ...
It has always felt right to me to create human figures out of the clay of the ground. According to Genesis, it's the first material God picked up to make a living soul. According to history books, it's the first sculptural material people found to express the reality of being alive and their need to stay that way. Making things out of clay is like having a conversation with my maker.