Artwork copyright Patty Detzer. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission, 2017.

Leopard Egg, 1994

Patty Detzer
American (born 1949)

Location: McMurray Middle School, Vashon Island

About the Artwork

Leopard Egg is part of artist Patty Detzer's mixed-media collages. She created these works by assembling found objects, broken remnants, and discarded materials. The egg-shaped shell with a pattern like leopard print inspired the title for this piece. She found the weathered mirror fragment in a glass dump, and contrasted the hard edges with organic materials. She created the ceramic profile of a woman's face using a carved relief found at the Salvation Army as her mold. Together this piece asks us to seek out beauty in things that are damaged and discarded.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Vashon Island School District.

About the Artist

Skagit Valley, Western Washington-based artist Patty Detzer creates ceramic and mixed-media sculptures.
Detzer was born in New York City and moved to the west coast to attend the San Francisco Art Institute. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. Her work is inspired by the natural landscape of her home on Fir Island in the Skagit Valley. She notes "The connection to the outdoors, changing seasons, plants and animals, dead and alive, infuse my work."