Opening Night: Critters by Wesley Anderegg

Join beloved Southwest ceramicist Wesley Anderegg for the opening of his new solo show Critters.

Comprised entirely of works made in the last few months, Critters centers on creatures Anderegg grew up with in Arizona, from horny toads and chameleons to roadrunners. The latter, titled Tangerine Thief, looks devilishly pleased with the stolen fruit he holds, demonstrating Anderegg has imbued his critters with the same eccentricities as his previous people. “I’m definitely approaching the animals as metaphors for people,” Anderegg writes. “Horny toads for example are loaded with meaning! You can apply that as you like.”

Wesley Anderegg’s peculiar ceramic figures have been delighting viewers for over three decades in Santa Fe. Collectors and critics familiar with Anderegg’s distinct sense of humor have come to rely on his signature toothy grins, unsettlingly realistic glass eyes, and idiosyncratic brand of whimsy and fun. Awash in the colors of a typical Arizona landscape, his earthenware characters represent what the artist enjoys best, outside of raising pygmy goats: poking fun and people-watching.