Susanne Vertel

The figurative bronze work of Susanne Vertel incorporates both spiritual and aesthetic elements into a synthesis of personal vision that has garnered her critical acclaim from both peers and collectors alike. Vertel works from the premise that the figure is a vehicle for expressing the underlying and often unconscious deeper focus of the mundane activities of everyday life. Although her representational work occasionally makes use of the male image, her focus is often the many faces of woman. From her austere Russian “Babushka” series, to her graceful and aesthetic nudes, there is a thread of continuity, a going within, and a peacefulness that permeates much of her work and seems to touch an inner emotional space within the viewer.

Susanne earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science in 1978 from the University of California at Berkeley, and received her early art training at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Many of Susanne’s works come from her personal experiences. Her grandparents on both sides were first generation Americans of European Heritage. As a child, she was beguiled by their many stories of life in their youth, simple chores and simple pleasures. Her inspiration originates from her personal experiences. Her representational bronze work reflects beauty in many different forms- the grace of the nude form, the innocence of childhood and the intrinsic beauty that comes with aging.

Vertel’s work has won her awards from prestigious New York Shows and numerous commissions. She was recently awarded a commission for a life size sculpture for the National Park service, currently installed in Yellowstone National Park. She was honored by being invited to the White House to witness President Clinton award a smaller version of this sculpture as a lifetime achievement award to a retiring Park Ranger. A monumental version of her “Babushkas” was commissioned by a private collector to sit in front of a 20 ft sculpture of Lenin, which came from Red Square in Moscow. Susanne Vertel currently resides in the Southwest. She continues to be one of our all-time favorite artists as she is beautiful on both the inside and the out.