This is a small sculptural piece. A round balloon shaped head sits suspended on three legs that come to points. On one side is a gaping mouth with baleen teeth and on the other are thin crevices leading to a central ridge that act as the nasal passages. It has two dark blue eyes, one on top of the head and one right on the bottom. It is glazed with a combo of chartreuse and dark burgundy colors.
This is a small sculptural piece. A round balloon shaped head sits suspended on three legs that come to points. On one side is a gaping mouth with baleen teeth and on the other are thin crevices leading to a central ridge that act as the nasal passages. It has two dark blue eyes, one on top of the head and one right on the bottom. It is glazed with a combo of chartreuse and dark burgundy colors.
This is a small sculptural piece. A round balloon shaped head sits suspended on three legs that come to points. On one side is a gaping mouth with baleen teeth and on the other are thin crevices leading to a central ridge that act as the nasal passages. It has two dark blue eyes, one on top of the head and one right on the bottom. It is glazed with a combo of chartreuse and dark burgundy colors.
This is a small sculptural piece. A round balloon shaped head sits suspended on three legs that come to points. On one side is a gaping mouth with baleen teeth and on the other are thin crevices leading to a central ridge that act as the nasal passages. It has two dark blue eyes, one on top of the head and one right on the bottom. It is glazed with a combo of chartreuse and dark burgundy colors.
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Crater Crawler

MARTHA QUIRIE

May 5th, 2026

Major: Art Practices & Psychology

Genre/Medium: Stoneware clay, cone 6 glaze, mason stain

About the Work:

Crater Crawler is a fictitious representation of a creature that could live on the surface of 16 Psyche if it were to have a slight atmosphere. The tripedal legs are great for stabilization as the animal moves over rocks and rough ground. The pointy ends of the legs are able brace in crevices between rocks and the sharp ends also act as defensive protection against predators. The nasal passages running to central cavities on the back help pull in a large amount of air particles at a time and also act as the waste output for the animal. The mouth on the opposing side is modeled after baleen and helps the creature filter dust out of its diet that it collects from small, single celled organisms that exist in the air close to the surface. The eyes on both the top and bottom of the creature would be retractable and they provide 365 degree vision.

View the Full Project

Date Added: 05-05-2026
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/Martha Quirie - Psyche Inspired

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