The sculpture, paintings, and drawings of Karl Wirsum are imaginative, colorful, humorous, and at times, disturbing and “cheerfully grotesque.” Utilizing a range of materials and techniques, he creates works that exude great energy and stimulate one’s imagination.
In 2004 Sonny and Gloria Kamm commissioned Wirsum to create a work for their teapot collection. The result was this brightly painted sculpture that captures Wirsum’s colorful cartoonish style and humor. Titled Deep Tea Diver, the work features a large blue figure with a yellow mouth and eyes. He stands upon a green boat with an enclosed top cabin and small blue windows. The figure, which has a c-shaped handle extending from his back, wears pink shorts, a tank, and a cap. He holds a yellow divining rod. Black outlining is applied throughout the sculpture which accentuates the fields of color.
— This excerpt is from Allie Farlowe’s article about Karl Wirsum in our Collection Highlights.