Todd Barricklow

Todd Barricklow

Todd is the eldest son of two puppet-making school teachers. He fled the
San Fernando Valley in 1987 to attend Sonoma State University and
study humanities and ceramics. He graduated with Distinction 1992 with
a Bachelors of Art with an emphasis in Ceramics. He was an Artist In
Residence at the Kohler Company in Wisconsin in 1999 where he
learned more than he ever thought he wanted to know about toilets and
also fell in love with technique of Sgraffito. He works in ceramics,
woodblock, and metal. Todd lives in Santa Rosa where he has several
studios and can be found in the yard, in the studio, or in front of the
espresso machine.

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Inspired by the classical amphora as a vessel of culture and utility, my
work continues this tradition by highlighting the tools and machines and
transportation that define our place in time. I carve everyday icons on
my vessels, telling stories by placing symbols and characters in
narrative tension. I build with clay slabs. My process is tactile and
visible- boxes are not square, vessels wobble, and brushstrokes
remain. This imperfection reveals the human hand, connecting labor
across time. I limit my palette to black and white, a space of calm amid
a world of fluorescent saturation. Through this restrained visual
language, I let the material and story take precedence. My aim is to
blend these elements and allow each piece to serve as a record of our
contemporary context. 

Filters and sort

Palm
Agent
Looking Right
Old Bandit
Target
Dangling Legs
Scissors
Roundabout