# Forest Murmurs

An earlier column that shows how long Gustavson has been working at this level. Deep jewel tones of purple, teal, and warm earth move across the surface with a richness that feels genuinely built up over time, the result of multiple glaze layers transformed by the kiln's reduction atmosphere. This is the same process he has refined across more than four decades, and the maturity of the surface here is a direct record of that investment.

The colour doesn't sit on the surface of the clay. It seems to come from inside it, something that consistently catches people off guard when they see it in person. The form tapers naturally toward the top, giving the piece a quiet authority.

It holds its own against anything placed near it.

[Browse all works by Michael Gustavson](/collections/michael-gustavson)

## Details

- **Price:** 21000.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Art Scout
- **Type:** Ceramic Sculpture
- **Tags:** buy original art online, California artist, ceramic sculpture, collector art, Michael Gustavson, original sculpture, raku, wall relief

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 21000.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Forest Murmurs – tall studio raku ceramic column by Gustavson with deep jewel tones of purple, teal, and warm earth built through multiple glaze layers over four decades of refinement
- Forest Murmurs by Gustavson – detail of jewel-toned purple and teal glaze depth on tall tapering ceramic column
- Forest Murmurs by Gustavson – full view of tapering ceramic column with luminous glaze emerging from within the clay surface
- Forest Murmurs by Gustavson – close-up of layered reduction-fired glaze in purple, teal, and warm earth tones
- Forest Murmurs by Gustavson – ceramic displayed in room context showing strong vertical presence

## Additional Information

- **Dimensions:** 80"×26"×11"
- **Artist Material:** Glazed ceramic
- **Artist Name:** Michael Gustavson
- **About The Artist Link:** https://www.artscout.pro/collections/michael-gustavson

### About The Artist Content

Michael Gustavson is a California-based ceramic artist who builds upon the traditional Japanese process of raku, reimagining it through a distinctly contemporary and highly personal methodology. His work bridges free-form organic sculpture and painterly abstraction, distinguished by unusually vivid, luminous color rarely achieved in ceramic sculpture.

Central to Gustavson’s practice is a firing approach he has developed and refined over decades, evolving from but ultimately departing from traditional raku. Rather than removing works from the kiln, he introduces pine needles at lower temperatures to create the reduction atmosphere while the pieces remain inside. This highly individual, studio-developed method allows him to work at significant scale and achieve exceptional chromatic depth and painterly nuance in glazed ceramic. Few ceramic artists pursue color with this level of painterly ambition.

Over a four-decade career, Gustavson has pushed the expressive potential of clay, developing a controlled yet highly responsive surface language. Describing himself as a painter-sculptor, he treats each form as a three-dimensional canvas built through layered glazes, textures, and color interactions. His vessels often suggest the human figure in motion, while his wall reliefs activate negative space as an integral compositional force. Large-scale outdoor sculptures and benches extend this painterly vision into powerful tectonic forms.

Inspired by Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Jackson Pollock, Gustavson’s surfaces often feature controlled dripping and expressive movement, translating the energy of abstract painting into fired clay.

Gustavson earned his MFA from San José State University in 1980. His work is held in major public and private collections worldwide, including IBM, Kaiser Permanente, Seagate, Cranbrook Museum, and Eastman Kodak.

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> Source: [Art Scout](https://www.artscout.pro/products/forest-murmurs)
> Updated: 2026-05-20