CERAMICS FESTIVA COMING TO GAYNORS CABINS IN THE WOODS, WHITEFISH, MONTANA
May 22 - 25TH, 2013 http://ceramicsfestiva.com
These AMAZING Artists are coming!!!
Stephen Braun
Sculptor Stephen Braun seeks to create a piercing visual language, one that motivates us, if not to act, then to think differently. Out of the human figure and an ever-evolving inventory of icons, Braun contructs allegories that reflect fiercely held concerns. We often respond first to the wry humor and fiery wit of the articulate tableaux. Their sly titles, too, lead us to chuckle at uncomfortable truths.
Braun's themes may be familiar -- environmental degradation, excessive consumption, tragedies of war, alienation from and semblance of the real -- but his words somehow render these tropes both fresh and urgent.
Bryce Brisco
Bryce originally hails from rural northwestern Arkansas. After receiving a Bachelors of Fine Arts with Honors in Painting from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, he pursued the study of functional pottery in North Carolina and Louisiana. He attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, where he is a received a Masters of Fine Arts in Ceramics. Most recently he is the Clay Artist-in-Residence at the Appalachian Center for Craft.
Artist Statement
I am deeply interested in Southern American folk wares and the three main cultural influences that this tradition was derived from: German salt glaze, English slipware, and Chinese ash glaze. These formal choices paired with a rigorous studio practice of critical dialogue and conceptual inquiry fuel my attempt to better access and articulate the content of functional pottery.
Craig Clifford
Craig Clifford received his BFA from California State University Long Beach in 2000 and his MFA from Louisiana State University in 2003. He exhibits his work nationally and internationally and has been included in the 2007 and 2009 World Ceramic Biennial in South Korea as well as exhibitions at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA and the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California. He is currently an artist in residence at The Archie Bray Foundation in Helena Montana working for a solo exhibition at the gallery at Pewabic Pottery in Detroit Michigan and Baltimore Clayworks later this summer. He has taught ceramics and art at California State University Long Beach, USC, Mississippi Valley State University and is currently the head of the ceramics program as a Lecturer at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. Website: www.craigcliffordceramics.com
Curt Jacobson
Curt Jacobson was born and raised in the Flathead Valley. In the late 60's his brother was involved with pottery at the college and Curt often thought it would be fun to try. About seven years ago he was introduced to wheel throwing and has been hooked ever since. He is a regular at the studio as well as the studio tech this year. Curt is also a computer repair tech and fan of open source. Occasionally you will find molded pieces of computers integrated into his work.
Artist Statement
I like to experiment with making a variety of forms. I enjoy the throwing of the piece and creating my version. Perhaps a pie plate with the pi symbol on it or a serving dish with the print of a manhole cover saying "Sanitary Sewer" on it. I have tried saggar, raku, salt, soda, etc. The experimentation and the learning by the firing method or the layering of glazes is what drives me most. Everything is good, even the failures.
Cassiel Leroux
Cassiel (Cass) Leroux was born in Henrietta, New York and attended the University of Montana in Missoula, majoring in Fine Art. Cass strives above all for excellence in the art of Raku. His interest revolves around the vessel form. This becomes the starting point for a further exploration of sculptural form. The history and validity of the vessel as a sacred and functional object is fully acknowledged. The nature of the creative process is one of ongoing evolution. Each piece stands on its own, as well as being part of a shared vision. It is essential that each work be instilled with its own individual aspect and character. They are created not only for their esthetic value, but also to evoke a deeper sense of perception. To have my work appreciated as a center of contemplation and enjoyment is my highest aspiration. Website: www.leraku.com
Robert Markle
He lives with his wife Anne on a small farm nested with a view of Montana's Columbia Range. The Markles have built a colony of wooden buildings where life revolves around the seasons of the garden, the drying of the clay and firing of the kiln. Robert has distinguished himself as a creator of functional, high-fire stoneware pots with lead-free glazes. The singular beauty of Markle's pottery has grown from a synthesis of creator and creation. Each piece is skillfully hand-crafted with great attention to detail. Form and function are artfully combined as only a potter with years of experience can achieve.
Karl McDade
I spend equal amounts of effort and time on my sculptures, drawings, and functional pots. All of them are fed by my reverence for the history of ceramics and its many processes and techniques. Recently I have begun experimenting with image transfer techniques. With this work I am combining the bold geometric forms of classical Greek pottery with contemporary imagery. I work in a decidedly intuitive and quick manner to create forms and surfaces that are rich in imperfection and depth in an attempt to create a patina that records the many layers of construction.
Born in 1971, in Portland, Oregon, Karl received a bachelor degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon State College in 1993 and completed his MFA at Montana State University in 1997. Between 1997 and 2000, Karl worked as the studio technician and a part-time instructor at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 2000, Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, California) hired Karl as a full time ceramics instructor. Karl earned tenure in 2004, and continues to teach at DVC while maintaining a studio in Berkeley. Website www.karlmcdade.com.
Randi O'Brien
Randi received her BA from Fort Lewis College in Durango Colorado in 2003, a BFA from the Montana State University in 2008, an MFA in studio ceramics from The University of Montana, and an MA in Art History and Criticism from The University of Montana in Missoula. In addition to her formal education she operated a production pottery studio, “Gyration Studio,” from 2006 to 2008.
Randi has presented at both the 20011 and 2012 National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Tampa Florida, and Seattle Washington. Randi’s work has been highlighted in the MFA factor of Ceramics Monthly, and her writing has been published in Ceramics Art and Perception: Technical.
Vernon Patrick
I started in the mid 1970’s to make ceramic work (paper bags) that was realistic in nature. At that time I was associated with the Quay Gallery in San Francisco. I employed the aspect of realism in my artwork as a way to encourage the viewer to look closely at the ceramic pieces, but not as an end in itself. My main intent was to communicate visual ideas in the relationship between the different clay objects. The bio-association of the different elements created the meaning in the artwork.
The ceramic sculpture “Master” was made in 1997 as part of a series based on a renaissance female bust. The figure sets on a Christmas present while balancing and ceramic vase on her head. A paddle lock holds a strand of brushes down the back of her head. A glass of wine sits by her left shoulder. Refinement and beauty contrasts with everyday domestic elements, such as the hairbrushes, and paddle lock. The many metaphors are based on the title “Master” include; to master the art of balance; to master surface design; to master knowledge (the surface of the wine in the cup is the presidential seal of the University of California, Chico; and to master religion as in Christmas.
John Rawlings
London-born and Australian-raised John Rawlings has been exposed to cultures all over the world. A graduate of Torrens College in Adelaide, Australia, and the University of Guanajuato in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, he has taught art classes there in addition to Ogallala Community College on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Northwest Community College in Powell Wyoming, and the University Alaska Southeast - Sitka Campus before moving to the Flathead Valley in 1989. He began teaching art classes at FVCC and was hired as a full-time art instructor in 1993. John has spent much time in Italy as he lived there twice and has led up to 15 study abroad trips to the country. In 2006 he received global recognition at the Cairo International Biennale in Egypt, the largest visual arts exhibition in the Arab world, where his ceramic sculpture pieces were displayed in the world-renowned show.
Esther Shimazu
Esther is a grandchild of Japanese immigrant sugar plantation workers and was born and raised in sunny, multi-cultural suburban Honolulu. She has been mad about clay since the age of five. She attended public schools, the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she received bachelors' and masters' degrees in fine art. She is currently a studio artist and occasional teacher and has taught workshops at Penland, Anderson Ranch, Santa Fe Clay, Emily Carr Institute and Idyllwild among others.
Artist Statement
Clay has been the ideal material for someone with durability issues, a nerdy interest in nature and history and a large expressive family. It all comes together in a perfect storm of obsessive construction, problem-solving and self-therapy. The imagery is from a messy but happy childhood in a predominantly Asian neighborhood in laid-back Hawaii. The pieces are made in collaboration with clay and are thin-walled and voluminously hollow, nude and bald to stick to basics and respect their pottery origins. Website www.esthershimazu.com
Dennis Sipiorski
Professor Dennis Sipiorski received a MFA in Ceramics from the University of Notre Dame and has two degrees in Education from the University of Wisconsin.
During the 25+ years I've spent in Louisiana, my art work has changed many times. I am mainly a storyteller and my work illustrates the images and subjects in my day-to-day world. The style of my work is flat and direct. I use many media in addition to clay- metal, watercolors, oils, photography. Each media is picked because of the unique qualities that it brings to the finished piece.
Clay is soft and moves easily, metal is hard and strong. Photography stops time and is a shadow of a moment. My images come from many sources in my past and present- growing up in the Midwest, Catholic school, college and southern Louisiana. Many of my current images come directly from my backyard- frogs, rabbits, cats, birds, fish, alligators, dogs, armadillos, snakes, along with plants, flowers, banana trees, magnolias, etc. The relationship of these images- how I place them on the piece- creates the stories. Website www.devilswampstudios.com/ds
David Smith
David received his B.A. in English Literature from Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA) in 1993, and an M.F.A. in Ceramics from Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, LA) in 2005. He is primarily a ceramic sculptor and mold-maker, whose work has been exhibited throughout the United States, primarily the Northwest, New England, and the southern states.
Artist Statement
My work relies heavily on objects and textures that inspire my fascinations, and these are usually found in nature or combined with natural elements. I explore ideas of excess and consumption, but also beauty, which I believe can be found in abundance, even in the tragedy of our global predicament. I am primarily a sculptor and a mold-maker, and I am currently exploring how translucent porcelain and light depict form and surface, and re-contextualize familiar objects. Snake skin, tree bark, lace, crab claw, tin foil, chicken skin--all textures and surfaces are transformed through illumination, and transcend their original context. Visit his website here
Shalene Valenzuela
Shalene Valenzuela was born and raised in Santa Barbara, California. She received a BA in Art Practice at the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA in Ceramics from California College of Arts and Crafts. In 2007, she moved from her longtime home of Oakland, CA to participate in a long-term residency at The Clay Studio of Missoula. She currently maintains a studio in the historic Brunswick Building in downtown Missoula.
Additionally, Shalene has participated in summer artist residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation (2006) and Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts (2004, 2011). She currently serves as the director at the Clay Studio of Missoula and teaches as Flathead Valley Community College. She has also taught at the University of Montana, Oregon College of Art and Craft, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula Art Museum, Richmond Art Center, ASUC Studios at UC Berkeley, and CCA Extended Education. Shalene has been a guest artist and speaker at a number of art centers, colleges, and universities and her work has been featured in several group and solo exhibitions nationally. Website www.shalene.com.