Image

Diagonal view of an abstract, gray, rectangular form. A row of horizontal knots are laced across sides of the front periphery. The backside is rounded featuring a row of forms.
Back view of a gray industrial-like ceramic cylinder with ten large vertically aligned loops threaded through and protruding from the center.
Diagonal back view of a gray industrial-like cylinder with one flat periphery. Ten large vertically aligned loops are threaded through and protruding from the rounded back side
Side view of an abstract, gray, cylindrical form with a front flat periphery featuring spiral-like knots. A row of evenly spaced horizontal protruding loops are threaded through the opposite side.
Side view of an abstract, gray, cylindrical form with a front flat periphery featuring spiral-like knots. A row of evenly spaced horizontal protruding loops are threaded through the opposite side.
Back view of a gray industrial-like cylinder with one flat periphery. Ten large vertically aligned loops are threaded through and protruding from the rounded back side
Diagonal view of an abstract, gray, rectangular form. A row of knots are laced across sides of the front periphery. The backside is rounded with a row of protruding forms.
Front view of an abstract, gray, industrial-like, rectangular ceramic form. A row of knots are laced across sides of the front flat periphery with a centered rectangular cavity in between.
A top-down view of a circular, gray, open-top, ceramic sculpture. Interlaced coils are threaded through the center and protrude from facing sides. One side features knots while the other, loops.
A small imprint on a beige ceramic surface. It features a decal that resembles an overlaid and reflected “P” and “B” enclosed in a circle and filled with black glaze.
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Paul Briggs

Bridges (Poetry Series, after The Hill We Climb--Amanda Gorman)
Recent Acquisition

Description

Maker

Paul Briggs (American, b. 1963 in Beacon, New York)

Title

Bridges (Poetry Series, after The Hill We Climb--Amanda Gorman)

Year

2021

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Dimensions

16 x 6.5 x 22.9 cm (6 5/16 x 2 9/16 x 9 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Mary B. Jackson Fund

Object Number

2022.83.1

Type

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Art and Design from 1900 to Now
Jun 04, 2022 – Sep 01, 2026

Label copy

Paul Briggs summons his experiences in art, education, and theology to create work that speaks to oppression, pain, and healing. Named after two generations of Black American poets, these ceramic works speak to systemic social injustice and the strength to persevere. Briggs cut through these vessels with knotted coils both to reveal injury and emphasize resistance. He explains, “These vessels are pierced by pain. But they are still strong structures—the knots are holding them together. We all have knots.”

–Elizabeth Williams, David and Peggy Rockefeller Curator of Decorative Arts and Design

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Tombstone

Paul Briggs (American, b. 1963 in Beacon, New York)
Bridges (Poetry Series, after The Hill We Climb--Amanda Gorman) , 2021
Stoneware with glaze
16 x 6.5 x 22.9 cm (6 5/16 x 2 9/16 x 9 inches)
Mary B. Jackson Fund 2022.83.1

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