THE THOUGHT BANK

Robot Love

2010-04-26T22:29:00.001-05:00

A favoriate place of mine, a guilty pleasure is a store. It really is an aweful admission. For all my hippie lovin, pot throwin, gronola cruchin', tendencies one of my favoriate places is a consumer based non-environmentally friendly polyvinal crazy store. Where grown adults shamelessly trade their hard earned dollars for colorful objects pressed into the shapes of figurines. Toys.

Action, or lack of action figures that are desingned by artists in Asia, and North America, produced in China, where labor conditions are poor, to people like me who just cant help themselves. I know this and I still can't stop myself from indulging in happy meal sized figurnes with strange expressions smoking or expressing some kind of emotion through the cannon of colorful plastic typically reserved for childrens toys.

To analyze the act on a rational level is silly. I just like them.

Created by artists and designers the term "designer toys" applies to toys and collectibles that are produced in limited editions (10-2000). Illustraters and graffiti artists are also sometimes involved in the strange amalgomation of toy creation. Illustraters like Jeff Soto work in conjunction with this scene, allong with poster artists like Frank Kozik who designed posters for Neil Young, Nine inch Nails, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, Beck, and The Melvins. Kozik now responsible for for the Smorkin' Labbits series by KidRoBot.

So maybe I'm not the only one who's been sucked into the world of Robot Love.

Serendipity: Tea with Eva and running into an old friend who happens to be an Elephant

2010-04-19T06:24:00.008-05:00

Serendipity: making fortunate discoveries by accident.

RULE TEN: "We're breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities." (John Cage)

Life's course unfolds. Watching from above one might see our fierce free will navigating through a series of circumstances beyond our control. Basking in this uncertainty can be viewed as a flailing about. OR If we are passionate about things...an opportunity for a series of unexpected/exciting inspirations. These seem to be handed to us from some place larger and wiser than what our current selves could have yet dreamed up. We are attached to the idea of being in control, which is ultimately impossible. Yet being full of intent does seem to matter. Often times connecting the dots and seeing the metaphors in retrospect helps frustrations melt away. Where you are now may not be what its actually about...but you had to be here in order to get THERE. By letting go, taking risk, and being open we can more rapidly grow into ourselves. Learning when to push and when to be pulled we slowly but surely stumble upon our destiny.

A few weeks ago I went to New York to interview my longtime hero, Eva Zeisel. I woke up that morning sick with a cold and a scratchy inaudible voice. I had prepared 103 complex questions for Eva in hopes of understanding every bit of her 103 years of life wisdom in the realm of ceramic industrial design. It was an unseasonably warm and sunny spring day. When I arrived Eva was sitting outside enjoying the sun. I handed her some calla lilies and I introduced myself (with my scratchy inaudible voice). She took my hand in hers and said "oh yes your hands are good, you are good." I was then informed by Eva's daughter that at 103 Eva is still completely sharp and aware but at this point has a very difficult time hearing. I was encouraged to go ahead and attempt to interview Eva even though I could hardly talk and she could hardly hear.

click here to see more photos from visit

In all honesty once in Eva's presence all my heady interview questions seemed senseless. Within the proximity of Eva's well earned sense of enlightened self-containment, I felt like a yappy puppy chasing its own tail. Nonetheless I nervously yelled my questions into a microphone contraption while Eva patiently attempted to decipher what it was I so desperately wanted to know from her. This turned out to be seemingly frustrating for both of us and we eventually settled in to drinking tea (from some original Eva Zeisel design cups of course). We soaked up the sun, watched the birds and drank from her beautiful cups. After awhile Eva's daughter Jean gave me a tour of Eva's studio which was amazing and informative. When I returned to Eva she had a bad headache and so I was asked to read to her to help distract from the pain. After learning that she would prefer to be read the war memoirs (written about the year she spent in solitary confinement in a Russian prison) over Opera magazine we settled on reading from one of her biographies. This was a fabulous book that answered many of the questions I had for her. As I read to Eva about her own life I got a bit confused as to whether I should refer to her in the first or third person. She listened very carefully, had me repeat certain parts and confirmed each strange and interesting incident to be in fact true. Eventually Eva's headache was forgotten, I had learned very much about Eva's life and life in general, and I realized that I had missed my bus. I decided there was time to catch the next one and continued to read until the sun had drifted out of the sky and it was time to take Eva back inside to sit by the fire. At this point Eva kissed my hand goodbye and told me to come again. Jean drove me to the bus stop where I waited to catch a bus back into the city so I could catch another bus back to philly where I would then fly back (it had taken a lot of navigating to find my way to Eva that day).
Somehow I missed that next bus and waited for the next one which was going to get me into the city just in time to catch my philly bus. This bus however managed to hit a car as we pulled into rush hour traffic. I arrived ten minutes late and missed my next bus. So I ended up stuck near Madison Square Gardens waiting for the 1am bus. Frustrated and all tired out I wandered a few blocks and was reminded that although I was stranded at night I was in New York after all and this was exciting.
Sure enough the streets were packed with people and they were all oddly caring around circus souvenirs. Being a circus lover I decided to follow the glow sticks and ended up in a back alley where I met a man lurking about. He explained to me that the circus was over but he and a few other circus groupies were waiting there because they were breaking things down and soon would bring out the animals. He knew this because he had grown up in the circus during WWII so often came to watch the old behind the scenes action. I too, knew a thing about behind the scenes circus life and upon closer inspection realized it was this very circus I was familiar with.

One of my more exciting memories of childhood is from the time I got to meet Barnum and Bailey's Circus when they came through Seattle. I was a poor hippy kid who rarely was allowed to interact with "society," but my Dad had the idea to trade them some garden vegetables so we could go watch the circus. Gunther the Lion Tamer's wife took a liking to me and brought me back stage to meet the acrobats and clowns. The evening was topped off with being introduced to the elephants and allowed to ride on one. This night has remained a strong memory not only because of the glamor of the rind stone jewels on Gunther's wife's feather head dress but because it was the first time I was able to realize the kindness of strangers.
So here I was in New York in a parking lot at midnight with a ragtag gang of circus groupies who also wanted to say hello to the elephants. There was the old man who had been a circus kid, an airline security guard from Jersey, two fellows from the Bronx, a woman who told me her email was gypsywanderer and a little boy from Morocco who didn't speak English,kept singing clicky songs to himself (but shared his roasted peanuts with me). Each of these people also had spontaneously let themselves be led/gravitated to this parking lot for what turns out was "The Secret March of the Elephants."
Each year the Barnum and Bailey Circus comes to town and performs at Madison Square Gardens and the only way to get the elephants there is by train but Penn station now only has escalators. Thus it is necessary for them to board the train in Queens, which means the Elephants must secretly march through the streets of Manhattan at midnight.
And so at the end of this very long and complicated day of journeying very far to meet with a very old hero I was able to randomly come across another very old, longtime hero that happens to be an elephant. It turns out the same elephant I had ridden on as a child still was with this circus. At around midnight this elephant walked out into the parking lot, (gave me a little nod?), joined its trunk with the tail of another elephant and took off into the busy streets of Manhattan, New York...
Eva Zeisel views her work as a "playful search for beauty" and the objects she designs as gifts. When I asked her if she had a particular individual in mind while designing or humanity in general she responded "there is no difference." Going to meet Eva (I now see) I had some undertones and motivations that were not the most pure and positive. I was in awe of her many accomplishments and fame and wanted to come in contact with her greatness before the rarity of its existence would be taken away from this world. I approached her that day with 103 questions thats underlying grief and desperation basically all wanted to know "How will this world (and modern ceramic design) go on without Eva Zeisel"?! Leaving Eva and the elephant that day I was reminded that this playfulness, this search and all that is beautiful do not belong to one particular person,thing, place or time...but are constantly there for all of us to tap into. It is the responsability of each of us to engage and actively create goodness. This force can not be forced, but if we stay passionate, sincere and open...serendipity can lead us there.
Thank you Eva and thank you circus Elephant...
with awe, gratitude, and love,
Harmony

Semester Ramblings

2010-04-12T10:36:00.004-05:00

1. If the meaning of life is to live, and the meaning of art is to make then the world suddenly appears much simpler than many make it out to be. Though then the question is asked weather or not one has lead a good life. Or has made good art. It is a question of weather a life simply lived is valuable by the act of existing, or if the act of creating is of any worth by simply making. The general consensus is that one has to actually do something in order to avoid uselessness. But that is not very hard to do.

It seems that life and art can be quantified in terms of Joy, Impact, and Reflection.

fig. 1 a plant that has lead a good life by enjoying growing J

* Joy can be quantified through struggle as well as ease; Impact relates to the self as well as others ; Reflection refers to observation as well as transformation

2. I don’t know how many cappuccinos I’ve had this semester—but I think I finally kicked the habit once spring rolled around. I am now addicted to just stopping by Café Nerman out of habit. Just to get hot water for my tea, and to steal milk and sugar from them. It’s ironic that I almost asked them how to spell steal. Steel Steal. Milk.

3. Note to self: It is important to make money.

4. Note to self: though we think we lack money we live a decadent life at this school, and in this art world. It is still hard work, this living thing. And this art thing.

5. Note to self: Summer is almost here.

why clay?

2010-04-05T10:02:00.003-05:00

After working with clay for four years, the answer "i like to touch things" does not seem sufficient for this annoying question. Its time for an intellectual response.

This low-tier material deserve much more recognition. Yes, clay is abundant, and clay from every region has its own unique attributes. For example, China possess the best clay body for teapot called the "Purple Sand". This porous clay preserve the rich taste, while dense enough to maintain heat, flavor and color of tea overnight. Herend porcelain is another example of regional only material. Paint is the same whereever you go, so is bronze and aluminum. What other material can capture the essence of a region more direct than clay?

It is said that clay is at the bottom of the art-hiarchy, and i beg to differ. Clay can be made to look like anything. Lets make clay painting for example. Clay canvas can be manipulated and incorporated into the drawing. Real shadows can be used in conjunction with painted shadows, which created more depth. Impasto can be used much better with colored slip than regular paint. Can painters paint with glass? How about texture? Clay has much more variation of surfaces. Painting is the top of the art hiarchy? what a foolish remark, those who quote it shows their lack of insight. Painting cant even be utilitarin. Lets compare ceramic sculpture vs mix media sculpture. "bronze" bowl on top of a wooden foot? Both components can be thrown on the wheel and "bronze lustered" + painted on. What can other medias do that clay cant?

Ceramicists should take pride in their media, because conquering the process is respectable. Clay is definately a powerful materials. Mountains are made through collision of two slabs. Scorched earth is created through rapid drying and lack of compression. Lava rocks are made out of dried out reclaims. Because of clays complex process, it has much more possibility thus making it a more versatile material than any other media. A world without painting, photography, or animation wouldnt be much different, but without clay?

The [Exciting] Museum Life

2010-03-29T08:44:00.008-05:00

When visiting museums as a child, and even into my adolescence, I always had these grand expectations about what happened "behind the scenes". I imagined underground hallways, tunnels, and rooms and rooms full of art work that was not on display...

So when I started my internship at the Nelson-Atkins Museum I thought, "Great! I can finally see what happens when the museum in closed." Well, ha. Meetings and tours. That's what happens when the museum is closed. I actually work off-site at One Main Park, on the 5th floor, with other museum employees, enjoying our cubicles. While I thought I would be IN the museum, constantly surrounded by ever-changing exhibits and kindergartners holding hands, it has been a really interesting experience.

Besides meeting some really nice museum personnel, I've been able to walk around the museum while it was closed, enjoying each room in total privacy. Not having to trip over elementary school field trips is a luxury in my eyes. I've also been able to see the stacks, the enormous library collection underneath the museum. Temperature controled, badge access only elevator..it's pretty fun. It plays into my childhood fantasy of the "exclusive" side of the museum.

I'm really looking forward to visiting "the caves" next. The off-site storage of all the artwork not currently on display. I have an image in my mind of what it looks like, but maybe I've just seen too many movies...

Valet Log: Deep Sector 7 (lucky #7)

2010-03-29T00:28:00.006-05:00

"If I was smarter I would have motivated my self more as a child to be something more glamorous." Said Andrew, when asked why he was soaking wet. I have a job that forces me to run in and out of most of the good and bad elements.

But, honestly growing up my dream job was to become a garbage man. I mostly wanted to ride on the rear of the truck while someone else drove really fast. But, my motivations never carried me to the waste management. Just to junk management. Going in to this job I imagined that would be driving at least a Porsche right? Wrong... Most gambling addicts don't have it in there budget to buy a Porsche or gasoline for the cars they do have. I can face the facts better then most. But, my co-workers on the other hand tend to get down trodden about the situation.

It's a well known fact between all of us that most people don't tip. So, my fellow comrades find other ways of making the work place a little more entertaining. Mostly involves daring stunts like driving through the parking garage in reverse and occasionally chasing geese around the parking lot. It's all done to kill time. In a way replace the tip that we should have gotten. The tip that makes up the majority of our hourly wage. The smiles that form on their faces when they tell you about the nasty car they just parked is the tip i take home. The weird smells and that the funny cars that I drive and the stories I hear. The stupid jokes and crazy conversations. These things are all food for thought and that is what keeps me coming back.

The things you see are like nothing you will see anywhere else. I guess you could say I'm addicted to documenting people who are addicted to gambling.

What Is Art For? Reflections on Ellen Dissanayake

2010-03-09T23:15:00.004-06:00

"What Is Art For?" "Homo Aestheticus"and "Art and Intimacy" are three books that Ellen Dissanayake has published. Her work has been described as burning a new path in the way art is critically addressed and defined. "Although human ethologists have speculated about the origin and evolutionary function of many kinds of human behavior, art, which is after all a universal characteristic or "behavior" of humankind has not yet received much serious biologically based attention." Ellen Dissanayake gives art some serious biologically based attention in her books while addressing subjects varying from what does art do for people, the evolution of the behavior of art and the importance of feeling.

At a recent lecture held at UCM, Ellen gave a brief introductory to the underlying anthropological philosophies used in her three books. Ellen broke down the information into three categories and them elaborated on each one. The major themes included;
1. Social and material lives for modern(industrialized) and premodern(non industrialized) life
2. Making and Material and its importance
3. Everyone is an Artist

According to Ellen, premodern life on the human timeline stretches back much farther than the short time that is considered modern life for current industrialized humans. With this shift in life styles there has also been a shift in the way our social lives have been treated, and in her opinion many base needs that were once met have become neglected.

Premodern life was described as;
1. hunter gatherer society - no food storage
2. small intimate groups - 10-20
3. kin organization - everyone is considered family(biologically or not)
4. shared ideas - group mentality same ideas/goals
5. assigned identities - everyone had a position they had to fill
6. ritual ceremonies pervaded life
7. everything made with hands

Modern life was described as;
1. earn money buy things/accumulation is available
2. societies of strangers
3. Nation states
4. pluralistic culture - no one mind set
5. create own identity - you don't necessarily have a position that has to be filled
6. scientific explanation - instead of mythological
7. push buttons or non physical creation
8. nature at a distance - no direct relation/AC Central Heat
9. elitist idea of Art

Ellen then went on to describe five emotional needs premodern life provided that modern life neglects
1. mutuality - one love with another / baby to mother / lovers
2. belonging - an identity within a group
3. Meaning - for what you do and who you are
4. Competence - being able/ watching and doing (incompetence - computer illiterate people = helplessness)
5. Elaboration - showing that you really care about something / embellishment

Making and Materiality was the second subject that Ellen addressed in her lecture. She began it with the basic history of the liberation of the first humans hands for locomotion and their ability to be used in a creative manner. This was then developed into the pleasure of creating something new with your hands, body, and mind. This pleasure is something that has been neglected in everyday Modern life. Art was then proposed as the process of transformation. Linked back to the earliest example of culture or transformation and the example used by Bill Reid in his Book "The Raw and The Cooked", the act of processing food or cooking food was considered the earliest sign of culture or art. A more recent example was given with Herbert Cole's appropriation of the title with "The Raw the Cooked and the Gourmet." The idea that culture or art is created by the transformation based on aesthetic and high culture or art is the refinement or Elaboration of that transformation. Ellen then proposed that the term art be gotten rid of in total and that "ordinary and extraordinary" be instated in its place.

This statement transitioned the lecture into her final theme We Are All Artists. We all have the capability to make the extraordinary and to acknowledge things that are extraordinary therefor we are all artists. Through our most basic ceremonies and rituals we all make extraordinary events and objects. Whether it is the super bowl or the symbolic items we keep secret in our safest places, everyone has the capability to embellish and create symbolic significance.

As a whole this lecture made since to me in its most basic principles but i wasn't completely satisfied with the information. I will ask you the same question i asked her to see if i can gain some more clarity with this information. If we are all Artists and we can all make the ordinary extraordinary, what role do you think the Museum spaces and gallery spaces have in the definition, presentation and path of art and the artist?

The mind's eye wears many sunglasses

2010-02-28T20:29:00.008-06:00

The studious nature of the creative mind can surprise the average person. Yes, we are not average, that’s what makes us individuals and artists. I have been talking with friends and family and have come to the conclusion that I am crazy. Not clinically insane, just crazy. Defining studious tendencies can take many different forms; the most dominant in my eyes is the inability to shut off the creative switch in our brains, which coincidentally enough is tied to the power switch. No matter what’s happening in our lives or where we are, at least from my experiences, we cannot stop the urge to create. Perfect example: recently there was a social gathering at one of my friends’ house, there were cans and bottles of many different designs sitting empty on a table. I observed a buddy of mine looking intensely at this table with what was essentially garbage that was ultimately headed for the recycle bin. He sat there for a few minutes staring at these cans and bottles until finally he rose from his seat and began walking to the table. He then started stacking the cans and bottles in a way that made them look less like garbage and more like a composition. Resourceful and creative, the artists mind is something that not many average people can understand. That’s not to say there is an elitism or exclusivity happening in our society. Far from that, we are all capable of being creative; every one of us on this planet, but there is a group that can’t turn it off. I guess that’s the reason we keep a sketchbook, or journal, or camera, some sort of form that allows us our outlet wherever we go. So being studious doesn’t necessarily mean being in a certain place for a certain amount of time doing a set amount of work. To me it means being prepared for that time when you do find yourself in a place that allows you to create. Crazy? Perhaps, but it’s totally acceptable and should be embraced.

what happens when you give
a bunch of students a paint brush and
a few gallons of paint in a skate park?

Overseer

2010-02-21T23:17:00.004-06:00

I remember when I was six,
the air was cold and smelt like cotton.
I could hardly move I was so bundled up
but we were going sledding on the hill

my hill.

I felt like queen on that hill.
Overseer of the neighborhood.
I said it was an old Indian burial mound
but really the only thing buried in that hilltop was chickens.

From the peak, I could count ALL three of our brown cows.

It was mine to the taking, that hill.
I owned it with my sleds, wagons, and kites...

Except,

I was scared.

Scared to sled down the one steep side into the pasture's fence.
But I got pressured to go there- THERE- the forbidden side

It was exhilarating and terrifying.
I could not feel the bitter wind kiss my face.
I could not feel the jostle of frozen lumps beneath my sled.
Only speed.
I could feel only speed.

Then a jolt of pain and warmth spread over my face.
Through squints the whiteness contained garnet red.

I could hear muffled yells...It sounded like my name
I could hardly move I was so bundled up.
The air was cold and smelt like cotton,
I remember when I was six.

Sculpting an Illustration

2010-02-13T12:42:00.013-06:00

In my illustration elective this semester I have been finding a lot of new and interesting artists.
Chris Sickels is an independent 3-D illustrator who created Red Nose Studio. He uses his experience as a self-taught mixed media sculptor to create three dimensional illustrations that can then be photographed for publication. These pieces are made on the miniature scale using cardboard, scrap fabric, paints, and other found objects.

I was excited to discover such a unique combination of techniques. I really enjoy the idea of using sculpting in other ways, rather than just placing work on a pedestal. These images are not only powerful but also subtle in their presentation. They take on both two and three dimensional qualities when combined into a single scene. This type of work also allows someone who sculpts to have the same job opportunities as a freelance illustrator. With the right equipment, any clay sculpture could also be turned into an illustration for print. The power behind these images is strengthened by a very believable backdrop, created through painting, and set making. This illusion of space bridges the gap between the two dimensional and three-dimensional arts.
These same skills have also been applied by animators to create full length stop motion animations, like Peter and the Wolf.

2010-02-06T13:44:00.005-06:00

Sergi Isupov at the Daum

2009-12-01T23:08:00.006-06:00

Last semester a group of us from KCAI went to State Fair in Sadila Missouri to see Sergi Isupov give a two day lecture and demo. In the video clip above Sergi talks about an opening of an exhibition that he and his mother attended. Sergi was very entertaining and shared many of his experiences. He also works really fast, you can see his process here. To see more of Sergi's work check out the Ferrin Gallery.

Dr. Seuss told me to do it

2009-11-03T13:35:00.002-06:00

It might be difficult to understand how I got to where I am now. It might be as far from ceramics as you can get without stepping out of the realm of art. Its my fist experience as an artist commissioned to do a piece, but this piece was something I had done on a smaller scale. I’m talking about the theater. It all started my junior year of high school. I was waiting for classes to start when a friend of mina approached me with a proposal. His theater group needed a mural done and fast, there would be compensation. Of course the thought of money intrigued me so I accepted the offer without thinking about what I had to do. He came up to me the day after with instructions on how to get to his theater. When I got there the troupe was rehearsing their lines on the stage and the band members were going over their music. The director approached me and said “you’re the artist right?” to which I gladly responded “yes”. So he led me into the scenic shop where all the equipment was, and in the back of this warehouse-like place there was a giant 12 foot tall book made of foam with 3 pages in it also made of foam. The director began to explain what had to be done. As he told me the details I began to regret agreeing to this deal but I had already committed so I guess I had to do it. I had to paint 4 murals one for each page spread of the giant book. The play was Seussical the Musical and I had to recreate 4 different scenes from the Dr. Seuss stories and only 2 weeks to do it. Thankfully I had a crew to help me but they were as skilled in art as a blind man running a gauntlet. The book still had wet paint when the play opened for the first night of performances. Soon after my high school drama teacher (who was married to my ceramics teacher) drafted me into her drama program where I built many sets, it’s because of her and her husband that I am here. They taught me how to speak to college reps and fill out paperwork, and it’s because of them that I stuck to art as a focus in my life.

Altering

2009-11-02T15:03:00.007-06:00

Altering pots is my thing. I throw them, trim them, and then soak it down before i do the altering. I roughly shape my vessel through altering when the clay is wet. When i alter i press and pull in broad motions. When i dart, i make sure the lines are straight, or curve at the same angles when i cut. it is import to dart at a wet stage, and build support underneath after i slip and score them back together. When my clay reaches leather hard, i begin adding on slabs and define the edges; taper in or out, round or sharp edges, thick edge to thin, most of my playing and problem solving takes place in the leather hard stage. My favorite tool is the rasp; i use it to obtain continuous curves, metal ribs to sharpen the edges, and then rubber ribs to clean up the surfaces.

Slide show

Monoprint

2009-11-01T22:17:00.004-06:00

In studio I have been working with mono-printing in clay. I start out with a blank plaster slab and add various under-glazes and slips. I then use a glaze pencil to add drawing elements. I also add oxides and pieces of clay to add more depth. Finally I pour slip over the plaster slab and wait for it become leather hard. In result all the components are printed on to the dried slip layer. Here is a slide show of the entire process.

The secrets to my high releif project...

2009-11-01T20:28:00.007-06:00

This semester I have been working on a series of high relief figurative wall tiles. These are more or less life size (big and heavy) and meant to play with an illusion of space. Figure sculpture is something relatively new to me and so my working process involves a lot of figuring it out along the way with editing and redesigning as I go along. I started out a with a firm concept and vision in mind but then went on to work somewhat intuitively. This takes awhile and what I create remains just as much a mystery to me as everyone else. To me this process is like riding a bicycle up a steep hill. Its hard work and you just keep your head down and peddle hard and its not too enjoyable, but then you reach the top and look down and think wow how the hell did I get way up here. How strange to create such personalities out of a lump of clay! Click here to see my slide show of the wet work phases of this project.

High Relief Wall Piece

2009-10-30T17:51:00.007-05:00

My high relief tiles are three separate tiles that act as one large wall installation. These pieces are meant to emphasize the importance of the role of the predator, and its relationship to the rest of nature. The crests that surround them reference hunting, royalty, power, and legacy. The tiles that fit in between these pieces are images of the prey hunted by predators. Click here to see some images of this piece through the wetwork process and onto the final glazed form.

body casts

2009-10-30T14:18:00.003-05:00

One of my current projects uses body castings. I started out by casting members of my family with plaster gauze, this produced the plaster negative of each chosen body section. after soaping the plaster gauze castings, I poured plaster into it to get the plaster positive of each part. Once I had the plaster positive I could proceed to make molds for slip. All in all, I have six molds: a shoulder/neck section, upper back, two knees- one including larger sections of the legs, mid-section, and an arm. This is my visual progress so far in a slideshow format.

Craft in America, LA

2009-10-29T20:55:00.003-05:00

Saturday night was the opening of the Craft in America KCAI ceramics exhibition in Los Angeles, CA. I was fortunate enough to be able to attend with KCAI alum Calder Kamin and Chair of the Ceramics Department Cary Esser representing the school.
The Craft in America Gallery space was opened just a few years ago by Carol Sauvion as an addition to her retail gallery "Free Hand" that she opened in 1980 in West Hollywood. The intimate space was perfect for the KCAI show and all the work looked amazing. There were many in attendance as Cary gave her lecture about the school and many questions afterward of people interested in the school's program.

Sundays at the Art Museum

2009-10-05T21:08:00.003-05:00

Back when I was about five my Dad started taking me and my brother to the Art museum every Sunday. The reason for this is we both refused to go to Sunday school at church, and the only other person who didn't go to church was my Dad meaning that we got dragged to the museum. At such a young age we had no interest in art so we just fooled around the whole time Dad looked at paintings. As I got older I started to take an interest in certain works of art, but never enough to tolerate a whole day of this. Soon me and my brother were old enough to look after ourselves and the visits for us came to a halt. Much later when I took my first art history class in community college did I realize that I really enjoyed looking at art, and now I had learned how to decipher a meaning from the work. My Dad at this point had still been visiting the museum every week, and so I decided to give it another shot. This time going to the St. Louis Art Museum was very different I now had a critical eye and my dad now would take me through every detail of a painting down to the last brush stroke. I never was very good at two dimensional art, but now I understand it much better due to my dad's knowledge of painting. I don't know if these experiences directly effect the kind of work I do, but has had an effect on the way I feel about art and partly why I decided to pursue a career in art.

show and tell-imagined

2009-10-05T15:36:00.002-05:00

This past week all my plans were abruptly changed drastically and I found myself five hundred miles from where I thought I would be, at my grandmother's funeral.

If this had not been the case, if I was in Kansas City on Wednesday, September the 30th, I would have attended the Show and Tell performance at the Fishtank performance studio.

This is how I imagine the night would have gone:

A few people who get up and show off new belongings: phones, children, etc.
A few people who share their past experience, a specific memory, or a place traveled.
A few people telling why they cherish a certain heirloom or a piece of trash they found in their neighbor's rubbish can.

I would leave the theatre feeling saturated with nostalgia.

What is so intriguing about these little stories, primarily unrelated to the grand scheme of life?
What if it was because they were the foundation to our lives. The small moments of joy, extreme sadness, or the broken toy you found on the ground right after you met someone who reshaped your life as you knew it.

These stories we tell and listen to let us know that we are real, we are not alone.

Maybe

I did attend a show and tell, just not the one on 1715 Wyandotte.
Many stories were told of when someone met my grandmother, of a utensil that she gave them and that they always think of her when they use it, the philosophies she instilled in her children, my mom, roadtrips they took with her, what her greatest fears were and how she overcame them, but most of all the love for her family.

My artistic experience

2009-10-05T04:01:00.004-05:00

well... i was gonna write about hungary, but someone beat me to it. Honestly, i dont know what art is, let alone an "artistic experience", and yet, i am training to be an artist! o man, this person doesn't know what he's doing!

There is a difference between art and craft?!

Artists make art, and what is an artist? KCAI community had taught me so much about being an artist, and this is what i learned: act weird, and not care about hygiene, because thats what artists do. Artists don't do crafts, if you make functional ware, you are a craftsman. Craftsman don't belong here because it is an Art school. Making beautiful work does not make you an artist; artists shoves meaning into their work, the more philosophical the better. Spending lots of time on one piece make it a good piece of art. Artists has to be different than everyone else; having similarity with someone else's work is a big no no, especially someone 10 generations ahead of you. If you do, people will say its "Boring", or "we've seen it before", you dont want that. Male artists can't have muscles, they will be considered as a jock if they do. If you follow everything above, you are an artist, and anything you make will be considered as art.

Is that really what artist is about?

Folk Pottery in Romania

2009-10-05T01:11:00.060-05:00

Last summer I had the pleasure of exploring Romania and a few of its famous folk pottery villages. How did I end up there? Well I had just finished my time at the International Ceramics Studio in Hungary as part of the Kansas City Art Institute summer study abroad program and couldn't bear to be so close to Romania without taking a peek. Based off the sound advice of Steve Mattison of the ICS I decided to head out into the "old world" to see how pottery has been done all along. Steve suggested the villages of Sacel and Marginea and told me that it was relatively safe and cheap to travel around Romania. So armed with a rucksack, map and lonely planet guide I headed out on my own and decided to hitchhike (at times literally on horse drawn carts) to these pottery villages. As I wound my way through many of Romania's beautiful sights I was overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the Romanian villagers who were all eager and proud to show off their rich heritage of folk crafts still in existence to this day.

When I arrived in Sacel I asked an old woman where to find the ceramics and she led me through the narrow streets towards a workshop.
A pack of young children ran along with us and led me with excitement to the door. Steve had told me that the workshop was led by a very old man but the door was opened by a young boy who appeared to be in charge. He managed to explain that he had taken over for his passed on grandfather and was now the 17th generation to be making the same traditional pots in this space.
Sacel is known for its red clay pots that are decorated very minimally. When I explained to the boy that I also worked with clay he showed me around his work shop and had me try to throw a pot on his wheel. The wheel was a push wheel but rigged up to a motor that only went one fast speed. I managed to throw a nice pot (in a way that horrified the boy) but then lost it at the end because I couldn't slow the wheel down. A bit embarrassed, I was a source of much amusement to my audience of the old woman and pack of small children. In return I was quickly shown up by the boy who threw his bowl very rapidly with the precise hand gestures he had been taught by his grandfather so as to be able to replicate the same forms his family had been making for centuries. Humbled, I was allowed to check out the kiln and was then taken home by the old woman who served me lunch while she tried to convince me to move to the village and marry into the famous Sacel pottery family.

Next I headed back to the road and hitched north through the mountains to the town of Marginea which is famous for it's special black pottery. This village was a bit more developed than Sacel and the ceramic workshop was a much bigger operation, right on the road and appeared to be collectivised rather than run by one family. I arrived on a Sunday and found the workshop empty and most of the employees out in the parking lot playing some sort of gambling game. I was about to head on but took a rest on a bench out front of a house that happened to belong to the head of the workshop. "Ion" asked me where I was from and why I was on his bench and when I told him I was a Ceramic artist from America he got very excited and brought me back an old newspaper clipping. It was from years back when he and a group of Romanian potters were flown to America to be guest demonstrators at some ceramic universities. Due to the good time he had had as a visitor to America he took it upon himself to make me his guest of honor and show me a grand time in Marginea. This included an extensive tour of the pottery workshop as well as meeting his mother (who ran an old textile museum), touring his neighbors and friends' traditional homes (who insisted on dressing me up) and drinking lots and lots of vodka with his best friend (who turned out to be a goat) while dancing away to traditional music and Queen hits at the local bar.
So all and all good times were had by all in this cross cultural artists exchange. This trip taught me the importance of connecting to the roots of the craft that you pursue and also how the shared love of a craft can connect us across language and cultural divides. Pottery villages such as the ones I discovered in Sacel and Marginea have endured for centuries but are rapidly dieing out. It's important for the excellence and dedication of these pottery workshops to be documented and rightfully admired. It was life changing for me to be able to visit these places and I hope in the future there will be more programs that create the opportunity for students like me to connect to the strong folk craft roots of other cultures.

2009-10-04T23:27:00.004-05:00

It was weird but, never in a million years would I have ever thought I would be where I am today. I feel like when I came to the Kansas City Art Institute I was on this single track to becoming an illustrator. I would find out soon after starting freshman year that this would not be the case. If there is not an illustration department anymore what should I do? I looked and found exactly what I was looking for. It was at the end of semester ceramics show and on that night I guess I just made my mind...

Honestly I had felt like I made a mistake. I had been in this department for a year and I still felt like I had no idea what I wanted to be making. I mean everything sophomore year had been assignment based. When I looked back on my work from that year everything just looked like a bunch of experiments. Some things looked good but, not what in my mind I would consider a finished piece or anything I would be proud to say was my work. Needless to say at the end of the spring semester last year I was unhappy with my choice of direction. And I was even more worried because I was heading to Hungary and I had zero ideas of what I wanted to make or do while I was there.

So, I left, was on a plain for twenty-two hours and landed right in Budapest. Jet lag recovery for several days and I was at the international ceramics studio. Still no ideas and now I'm pretty worried. But, then it just came out of the blue. It happened while I was learning to work on the plaster wheel. It just felt like I knew what I was doing. And for my first time on the wheel I felt like I had made a successful form and a wonderful mold. After that it was like a weight of my chest I stated sketching again and I knew what I wanted to do.

I like making molds and I like working with plaster. I guess that is what I liked from the start. Here is a link to my blog where I included some pictures of my plaster wheel experience.

New Work from Poland

2009-10-04T22:13:00.003-05:00

So Marek just sent me a link to his new exhibit called "Natura" in Poland. I was helping him with a few of the products and saw most of them from start to finish although there are some new ones.
ps. i made the molds for "Rock and Salt"

Copy/Paste this link in a new tab.

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.1&thid=124178514031707c&mt=application%2Fpdf&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2F%3Fui%3D2%26ik%3Df05efce958%26view%3Datt%26th%3D124178514031707c%26attid%3D0.1%26disp%3Dattd%26zw&sig=AHBy-hZjW3QKJ8t3E-LdvQg0qr-IWzjzGQ&pli=1

Herend in Hungary

2009-10-04T17:47:00.009-05:00

The experience I had at the Herend Porcelain Factory in Hungary was nothing short of inspiring. The tour of the factory and explanation of the processes used were a great aid to the work that I made at the International Ceramics Studio, during the Hungary 2009 study abroad trip with KCAI.
This particular image was taken inside the very large showroom at the factory. This large piece was made from about 40 different molds to make up the whole sculpture. This piece was one of my favorites because of its size, and the detail obtained from the molds. I was told it was most popular in eastern Europe and Russia because of the hunting theme.
It was the idea of making one sculpture with a complicated form, using many different molds that interested me most.
The process involved in all the pieces at Herend first began with the head designer, who makes the original pieces that are then cast. In an animal form for instance, each leg is cast seperately as well as the body and head, and any other parts. All the parts are cast at the same time, and attached at just the right dryness as they come out of the molds. I found this to be an ingenious way to cast and make multiples of complicated sculptural forms.
To be able to see such amazing sculptural works in porcelain come from molds, and see the techniques used in the factory helped me to create my own work. It is great to know that so many porcelain factories still create these masterpieces in clay for all to see.

The Meaning of Making Pots

2009-09-21T18:49:00.005-05:00

I noticed a strange similarity the other night when browsing youtube videos...

and then i saw this...

2009-09-21T09:17:00.002-05:00

It is funny but, as we get older we tend to forget how fun it was to be younger. It seems that in your youth it is totally cool if you are obsessed with mega-man. And its fine if you spent ungodly amounts of time working on 1:34 scale master grade models of Gundum Wing characters what else do you have to do? Third graders don't get homework.

But at some point we grow up and in this grown up state we look back on those days. We see the hour upon hours we used to spend on these things. What did that time teach us. I certainty was not ever the best at doing homework. I look back and think how I really used to just enjoy those things for the pure enjoyment of putting them together.

I started my long time love with models in small lead civil war figurines. My grandfather, who is a huge civil war buff (who's doesn't have a family member like this). Would take me to a small collectibles store near my house where we would purchase small lead soldier figurines. You would buy the figures unpainted and in a assortment of poses. We would take them home and paint them to look as close to the real soldiers in my grandfathers books as possible. We had cavalry and cannon units. Soon we were staging skirmishes and reenacting small battles.

I had gotten excited because we had accumulated about 75 different figurines and I just bought an Abraham Lincoln figure in hopes of reenacting Gettysburg.

This is when a harsh realization happened in my life. My Grandfather explained to me that our almost 75 man collection was not even close to the amount of men involved in Gettysburg. He explained that close to 93,000 men we involved in that battle. He also explained that close to 52,000 men had died in that 3 day battle. Even if it was a great turning point in the war it was a massacre for both sides.

I started to look at my figures in a different light. Each one represented a man and in the real world my 75 men would have had stories. At age 7 I started to really wonder about the world. I still have that Abraham Lincoln figurine, he reminds me of what has happened before me. I look at him some times and have a new respect for life and the future.

2009-09-21T01:42:00.003-05:00

It is just another creature that walks the earth. With its shy nature and patches of black fur, it creeps in shadows and stands in solitude. It is nothing more than a vessel. The void with in is where I live, the emptiness inside is what makes me useful. The function is determined by the space with in, the space with in is how I shape who I am. This vessel responds to many names, but my real name is revealed only to a handful few. Persistence is how one discovers what I am. What this vessel has still remains a mystery, its attributes are what I have but does not make me what I am. My unison with my vessel makes me who I am, but tragedy and old age will take away such identity. The day will come when this vessel fulfills its purpose, and it will be the day I stop hiding.

Clowny

2009-09-20T22:27:00.002-05:00

Mom said no to another 'stuffed animal'. That I had enough. But I was the one in the back of our hot cream-colored van, along for the ride to every garage sale in town.

Clowny wasn't my first stuffed toy, or even my last. But she is the most memorable.

Mom picked a 'boring house'. Gaudy old jewels and lace table clothes. Where were the bright plastic toys? The Barbies and board games? I followed my mom around while she oohed and aahed at this woman's 50 year old costume jewelry and Christmas ornaments. And then I found them. The only two items a child would be interested in at this sale. Two stuffed clown dolls. There was a Raggedy Ann doll and an old blue acquaintance. I can't even remember the price, but mom said no. She wasn't being mean, she just knew I had a room full of them at home. The old woman behind the folded card table must have seen my disappointment as I walked down her drive-way, back to the family van.
Then, the lady turned me around and handed me the soft clown doll. She told me she wanted me to have it. I was speechless and so happy.

I've kept this clown doll, since named Clowny (because I felt 'Clowny' is not a boy or a girl), for over 15 years.

How did Clowny become the last toy of my childhood? Why am I still holding on?

The sentimental attachment to certain objects can be almost impossible to separate. Items are constantly moving in and out of our lives, gaining importance, losing interest. In art, we learn detachment. It's a lesson one must learn fast. Things are bound to break, crack, explode, or just disappear.

What happens as we get older, that changes our levels of emotional priority? Look around you. What is the most important object in your life right now? Why?

Where did Clowny come from? Was this the last of this woman's childhood as well? Was she detaching her emotions of one object, to give away?
If I wasn't 7 at the time, I would have thought to ask.

footprints

2009-09-20T20:41:00.001-05:00

The goal of existence is unknown to all inhabitants of planet earth. It has bewildered philosophers and stupefied intellectuals alike, yet to this day we all try to leave a footprint of our existence behind in order to prove that we were here when this alleged goal or meaning to life is found. For centuries humans have found ways of leaving a mark, it could be something small and humble like a cup or something monumental like the great pyramids but one thing links us all, the yearning to be remembered. I have one piece of history that will not go down in any books, nor will it be hanging in any museum; something really simple that is loaded with sentimental value, a picture of my dad and his dad during a Sunday walk in the streets of Bogota, Colombia. It is the only existing photograph of my father as a child. There are many more pictures of these two people, but none have them together in the same way. When the older of the two passes this picture will take on more depth, it will bring up many questions to the minds of those who see this picture and become, in essence, a mystery and a memoir of a life that no longer exists. And ultimately the inevitable passing of my father will end the story of this photograph and it will be just another picture of a father and a son in everyone else’s eyes, but in mine it will be the precursor to what will become my life, my search for the meaning of existence and my effort to leave a footprint on this floating ball of dirt we call home.

Oak Leaves

2009-09-20T14:40:00.003-05:00

Their leaves are forever in my memory. To know I am truly home is to see the oak trees in my backyard. I would awake in my room to the sun that came through the leaves. To lie there and make shapes out of the spaces between them was like finding shapes in the clouds.
I could sit under their shade and be shielded from the Texas sun as I read. In the fall I could make large piles of their red and brown, and leap into them.

Riding my horse on the trails through the woods in winter, I would see no leaves, but only the gnarled branches from which they grow. Twisting, tangling, they create a contrast with a stark white background.
The oldest oaks have an appearance of the most ominous wisdom. When there were hundreds of these ancient oaks around me in a little less than an acre, I could feel only my own staggering insignificance. My dad told me they would all be cut down, unless he could prove to the town board of developers that they were the oldest and largest oaks in North Texas. Native woodlands like the one I stood in with my dad contained trees that are over two hundred years old, untouched by the progress around them. He asked me to stand in front of one of them while he took a picture, my small body was dwarfed by the width of the trunk alone. Its massive, thick branches seemed to connect to every tree around it, so you could never tell where one ended and another began. I helped him wrap string around the trunks, to measure them, noticing the tags on almost every tree, already marked for cutting.
My dad was furious for weeks. Lack of support for his proposal from the others on the board had led to the leveling of that section of woodland.
Every time I come home, one more field is a shopping center, one more group of trees is missing. In anticipation I reach my house, and always find our oaks to be just a little bit taller, and their leaves a little bit greener. It is the oaks and their leaves that make me glad to be home.

The Picture Cube

2009-09-19T20:24:00.002-05:00

I remember putting this cube together when my grandmother went into the hospital and was diagnosed with lung cancer. The chance that she would recover was very slim so one day I decided to take some photos of the family, past vacations, and the pets to put in this cube. I knew of course these were all things she enjoyed. My brother and I were the only two of her grandchildren who lived close to her and so we spent a great deal of our childhood around her. Her not being around would change every holiday and birthday. This was an unsettling idea that we may never have those times again. I gave her this picture cube so that if this was where it would end she could spend her last days remembering the good times. The day finally came when she died and the whole family was there. I had never witnessed a human death before and I never hope to again. It isn’t gross or anything like that, but to see it is like someone literally pushed the stop button. After this I took the cube as a reminder of her and also a reminder of the important things in life. I realized then that life seems long, but in reality it is very short. The cube reminds me that I should never take family and friends for granted and not to waste the time I have. It has been almost eight years since all this happened, and I still have the cube with me and I will never get rid of it.

Everything/Nothing...really matters

2009-09-18T17:49:00.004-05:00

As you can see this cup is ridiculous. Favorite cup!? How ironic. This cup means nothing to me and I think that may be why I like it so much. Like a bad song that plays on the radio that gets stuck in your head. You are annoyed as you find yourself humming it and before you know it you need to hear it one more time and then you buy the album. You know the score. In this day of modern mass production and too much advertising and hype anything of no quality or history whatsoever can become a cherished object. I think I may be going through another existential crisis or something cause I seem to be fed up with objects. What's the point anymore of working your ass off to make a very special cup...to sacrifice everything just so you can bring things into this world to counter-balance the senseless meaningless mass production of junk that you see all around you...but then one day you are thirsty and you find this stupid cup at a yard sale and you still somehow manage to find a way to make it matter. It does the job and it does it way better than any of the cups in your fancy famous potters' cup collection (stored away in your storage space full of way too many objects that you think are important to hold on to somehow). Everything is a reaction to a reaction to a reaction and you find that you've dug yourself in to a contradictory grave.
You see I was raised an anti-materialist...but I come from a long lineage of cosmic junk collectors. Call it intuition, what have you, but I can pick up an object and be transported to times and places or the people that once cherished them. Every object has a story or a sentiment. Every object holds power...a memory. Objects oftentimes outlast the people they belonged to. A diary...handpicked for display as part of what defines you...your aesthetics and tastes. It is all the more powerful if you hand make these objects yourself. To be an object maker what better way to leave your mark on this world.
It's with this attitude that I took it upon myself to gather and make many, many objects....screw the freedom that comes with a free floating transcendental way of life... Let there be things, many many things! Security! But then one day you wake up and drink from an ugly mass produced cup that means nothing to you and you feel so free. The world has become a transitory, meaningless and absurd place...why shouldn't the objects in it reflect this?

bartholomew ellijah jameson

2009-09-18T15:23:00.003-05:00

there once was a boy named bartholomew ellijah jameson. his parents gave him a strong name so he wouldn't be scared of the dark. his arms and legs were as lanky as his disposition was meek. he always left the bedroom door cracked when he went to bed; his mother would always close it, because his name was bartholomew ellijah jameson. in the time span of 5 years and 27minutes, he had drained the energy of 413 batteries because he fell asleep with his yellow flashlight on. he told his mother it was because he would get so tired playing explorer under the sheets that he would forget to turn it off when the jorney was done. he did not want to tell her the truth because his name was bartholomew ellijah jameson. he had tried to sleep in darkness but the little noises amplified their way into his nightmares. All he could see was the whites of the eyes and glimmers from the drool. when he slept with the flashlight on, he could see the monstors and cyclopses drooling on his bedpost. at least he could sleep at night...

as human beings we are funny people, we let things control us. these things could be anything, the electric bill, your bank account, your car breaking down, having 5 people ask you for more honey mustard at work when you don't care about their food but how you would much rather be in studio making your own work. it's a hard fact that has been difficult to work with. how can i make quality work with all these factors weighing heavily on your mind? somedays i think it is just a day to become completed engrossed in my work can take a quick downward spiral with paperwork. i began to think i can't wait until i get out of school, or until i turn in this paper, but something else always pops up. finding my yellow flashflight to help me stay focused when i get my fragmented studio times has been tough. this year i have been better about learning how to leave what weighs me down at the doorstop of studio.

pics from Poland

2009-09-08T23:25:00.002-05:00

A month in Poland

2009-09-08T22:46:00.002-05:00

This summer I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Poland to intern with Marek Cecula (pronounced like 'set-su-a' as i found out). The trip lasted for one month. Mostly I was working with him, Edyta Cieloch and theyre two college interns in their studio and teaching a wheel throwing class at a local community studio which Marek oversaw. Marek and Edyta were excellect, very hospitable, which made for a very easy acclimation into Polish culture. The language barrier was difficult at first, but they helped me order food most of the time until i figured it out.
I learned a lot about how a product design business is run. I learned about outsourcing and the primary role of a designer which is the prototype and how outsourcing keeps the designer thinking about the product and new ideas with out being weighed down by the process of manufacturing. This was an ideal situation that i was able to witness. We worked in a small but very efficient studio and i was able to watch from start to finish the creation of a new product line for 'Modus Design.
I also learned a lot about Marek's conceptual thinking in his fine art installations and products through many long discussions over coffee and Polish pastries. We spoke about the landscape of contemporary ceramics in America vs. that of Europe and how the histories of the material in both places was presented so differently e.g. the Art and Craft studio potter in America vs. the ceramics industry of Europe and how one might go about being progressive in either instance.
I believe that my view of my role as an artist changed while i was there. Where not more than a year ago i still dreamed of owning a pottery studio or at the very best a nice career teaching at a university, I now dream of one day creating a new design for Rosenthal Porcelain or working in a product design collaborative or running a product design company stretching my limits to create in the Bauhaus mentality of making art for everyday life in collaboration with industry.
Beside all this, and most important of all, i made lots and lots of friends who i plan to see in the near future and still keep in contact with. And thanks to all of them my experience of Poland was amazing and I would recommend it to anyone who is will to take a risk for an awesome adventure!

16 artist in a barn on a farm

2009-08-27T21:03:00.047-05:00

This summer, as part of a month long road trip, I participated in a residency at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in New Castle, Maine. The Two week long session (Artist invite Artist) was put together by this guy! Benjamin Schulman is a sculptor teaching at Drury University in Springfield, Mo. Participants included Adelaide Paul, Tyler Lots, Rain Harris, Landon Anderson, Erin Furimsky, Jeannie Hulen, Carolyn Baginski, Maji Calhoun, Tracy Lee, Erin Paradis, Rob Rapheal, Jessica Sanders, Susan Schultz, and Scott Ziegler (who recently had his work published here). The two week session was wonderful. There was an open diolog between artist about different approaches to art through the use of nontraditional materials combined with ceramic media. Most participants worked with a variety of materials to produce their work. Below, Adelaide is pictured refining the body of a life sized horse before it is about to be reskinned in leather. Adelaide's work examines the disturbing nature American culture enables through the use of breeding domesticated animals as commodities.

Erin Furimski (below) is a ceramic sculptor(graduate of The Ohio State University) who creates beautiful, decorative ceramic art by layering a variety of surfaces over a form language that has both architectural and biomorphic qualities. Here she is seen taping off areas of her work,

getting ready to apply a layer of colored slip. Pictured below is a finished piece by her husband Tyler Lots. Tyler incorporates "industrial" products to the surface of his work to create tactile finishes. Other nontraditional

media such as hardy

board, metal, and rubber are used in conjunction with slip cast clay to produce his art. The experience at watershed was unique because artists not only work in the studio together but they eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a group. All three meals are provided to participants as part of the residency. This allows for artist to really get to know one another in a short period of time. The diversity of this residency can be seen in the variety of work artist are creating; everything from sculpture to functional pottery. Pictured below is work by current Salad Days Artist Sean O'Connell. Sean, A recent graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology works off of the philosophy that if you are going to make something then you should make it useful and if you are going to make something useful then you should make it beautiful. I couldn't agree more.

POTS

2009-08-07T22:27:00.008-05:00

POTS?!? Its kind of a funny sounding word. In the Spring of 2009 The Kansas City Art Institute Ceramics Department had a spring exhibition featuring a ton of pots or vessels or what ever you would like to call them. Click here to see images from the exhibition. There was a real nice range of work featured by students from all levels of the program; Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors. The work represented in the exhibition was created using a variety different processes and techniques. Eric Wolever & Ryan Fletcher used plaster as the starting point for their form language whereas Matthew Jorgensen & Mariko Brown utilized the potters wheel for their forming techniques. The use of digital technology was also present with Keith Simpsons pieces. Keith designed his work using Rhino(3D imaging software) and created prototypes that were "printed" using epoxy. The printed prototypes were then used to make plaster molds in order to create slip cast replicas. The vessels in the exhibition represented a nice range of aesthetics; there seemed to be diverse perspectives & point of view within the work.

Minoan Pottery

2009-04-28T11:22:00.003-05:00

Pottery is a craft that is practiced and is further explored in every culture. The knowledge of pottery is a sign of organization. This process encapsulates the intention of making improvements and involvement of culture. Making pottery involves experimental encounters with ways to engineer techniques into elaborate forms. There is a structure that is always constant in the organized method of transforming clay. Even when uses are different for regions that practice pottery, the objects are made out of clay; these objects capture an essence of culture and knowledge that is being practiced in the process of creating. Objects express an individuals’ perspective, demonstrate methods, teachings, and a perspective of life. Pottery can be described as a process with a variety of methods. An interesting quality about pottery is that it is a process that puts clay through a constant change in the presence of a man that is going through change as a well. The beginning of Functional pottery and modern day pottery mysteriously has survived the generations of change in the lives of man. Pottery has expanded in knowledge but has managed to remain in the same content of purpose for mankind. Pottery in different cultures, locations, and eras has affected current and future generations. For example, the Japanese had a philosophy of learning from other cultures and transforming what already existed.

Wake Up

2009-04-21T22:29:00.006-05:00

Yesterday there was a giant snapping turtle behind work where I take my hourly smoke breaks. Being from Washington state I had never actually seen one of these amazing creatures. I pulled a stick from the mud and wiggled it in front of his giant head and he (or she) responded by snapping his beak tightly around the stick; releasing only after I was able to pull the weight of his body to the surface of the water.

I spent the rest of the day pondering the battles that would ensue between a giant turtle and various other creatures if they were both the size of buildings - like Godzilla, and decided to name the turtle Gamera. As I closed my eyes to sleep - while frantically pondering the nature of the universe and the weight of the obligations that come to term at the end of a semester - I remembered that things are not as heavy as they seem and fell into a dream.

It’s night in the city. The falling rain coats the darkness with a sheen as yellow lights of distant hotel room windows reveal the shady behavior of shadow puppets behind them. I move quickly down an alley and past a car dealership. There are two giant inflatable monsters standing atop the building, swaying left and right in the wind as though they are walking in slow motion toward me. King Kong is holding a sign that says “SALE!” upside down and backwards. Godzilla just stands, watching, wearing a pink brassier. She is a novelty, a rather large one but I imagine her gaze traveling through me with such energy that my bones begin to glow. I hear footsteps running up from behind me at an intensifying pace; it is too much for me to stand in her gaze so I run back to the alley. The footsteps that I’m running from disappear beneath the wake of my own. Just as my stride ceases, my pursuers do as well. I stand in the dark of a locked doorway, trying to catch my breath. It is silent, save my beating heart. I see a movement in the shadows directly across the alley. From behind a dumpster, a hand lifts a chunk of metal the size of my head until it is pointed at the only part of my body still capable of making sound. I am silent and motionless for what seems an eternity. The barrel blows a couple of kisses my way, I fall face first into a puddle, and blow two bubbles. My body fades away and in its place is an outline of chalk. The world around it seems to shrink but the outline remains constant until it swallows the world, the universe, infinity.

furoshiki

2009-04-13T22:52:00.002-05:00

The Japanese have always been particular when it comes to detail. Even when wrapping a gift - something that may be menial even - every detail is brought into consideration. I am learning about many different styles of Japanese wrapping this semester, one specifically which is called furoshiki seems to be the most versatile. The base of every wrapping is a single, square piece of fabric. There are many different folds and knots that can get one varying results for each type of thing they are packaging. Bottles, books, watermelon, etc all have a unique way to be wrapped.

The best part is that not only is the item within a gift, but the wrapper as well. It can be obviously reused for a plethora of things - headscarves, bags, or just a simple splash of colour in a room. Furoshiki is becoming a big hit lately for being a personal eco-friendly way to carry any item. Paper gift wrapping just gets crumpled and thrown away, and plastic bags are seen as a plague now.

In Japanese culture the wrapping can be very very particular. When taking an item to be wrapped you would tell the person a few things about your relationship to the person recieving it: for example, if they are older, of a high stature, related to you or not, etc. Each of these things would be taken into thought, and the gift would be wrapped accordingly so as to not offend the recipient, but compliment adn respect them. When I mention this to someone, I usually get a response of "gee - that seems like they are going to far too much trouble to wrap a gift." The thing though is that like the tea ceremony, it is an art that most westerners cannot understand(except in the name of eco-friendliness). For the Japanese though, this is another form of art in adn of itself. To make everything in life beautiful and have deep meaning.

Musings on an Internship

2009-04-12T02:32:00.009-05:00

New work

Studio space

A drawing for her personal lithophane work, cups thrown

Jewelry waiting to be sold

Cara Long is a local artist who graduated a few years ago from the ceramics department at KCAI. She makes her own personal work as well as ceramic jewelry. Her business, Sweet Mud Clay Works, brings her technical knowledge, personal aesthetic, and ambition together to create translucent porcelain earrings and necklaces.

This semester I have had the pleasure of being Cara's intern and have benefited from receiving the knowledge she has gained from her work. I have so far helped to make new jewelry, research and seek new places to sell her jewelry, followed her to where her work is already being sold, and been introduced to the people with whom she works. She also has shown me her blog, documentation, catalogues, cover letters, post cards, business cards, etc., and shown me how she has created them. All in all, I feel that this internship has definitely been beneficial if I decide to pursue this path after graduating.

mmmm slippery

2009-04-07T20:09:00.004-05:00

Little inspiration for more texture! Holy Jesus I love it! These pieces were made by Erika Monique. The layers upon layers of coils are very pleasing to my eyes. I just wanna touch the work! And not only is it wonderfully textured!! It's also Paper clay!! mmmm I like. But what i do not like is her use of glazes. Not so pleasing in combination with the texture.

Cameras!

2009-03-30T02:08:00.003-05:00

You may have noticed some cameras hanging out in studio. Well im making them for the Kansas City FilmFest award ceremony. It's an internship that is sort of set up like a commission. I decided to make really old time cameras for them to show/ preserve the history of their industry's technology. Plus, i think they look more fun and interesting than the digital cameras made today. As i keep making these they become more warped and twisted, in a way to show the abondoned ways of making films with these practically extinct cameras. I'm going to give them lots of color and bring these old cameras back to life, and hopefully gain them some recognition because the film industry wouldn't be what it is today without the development of these cameras.

http://kcfilmfest.org/

1. a desire or ambition to achieve something

2009-03-29T14:50:00.010-05:00

Formally, the piece I plan on making will be composed of 4x6” translucent porcelain boxes, each of which are individually lit and linked to an infrared sensor that detects the slightest motion or interruption in heat between the viewer and wall. While I’m still looking into material costs, and construction technicalities/presentation options, the final product will attempt to function as fine art, interior design, and post World War I minimalist architecture. Its lack of color will casually lend itself to any interior space and represent the materialistic qualities of porcelain. This interior façade of porcelain will potentially interrupt the flow of traffic during an exhibition. This in part, because the lights will go on whenever an individual steps in front of the piece. When they move away, so do the lights. The porcelain in combination with the shape of the objects, and the presentation will aid my comment on the frequently overlooked realm of concept within clay art. The nothingness of this wall will respond irreverently to pedestal ceramics and sculpture. Some artists I’ve researched are Yves Klein and specifically his philosophy of exhibiting the void and selling zones of empty space. On top of this, the work is my minimized response to Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe’s idea of “Less is More.” The posted video of Radiohead exemplifies on a much larger scale, what kind of experience I plan to hopefully accomplish both visually and physically.

Homes and Altars

2009-02-23T13:22:00.004-06:00

Last semester I focused on nostalgia and longing through images of my family and post cards. This semester I am trying to find my way out of the two-dimensional world of tile and into free standing three-dimensional sculpture. Coming from a painter's background, it is surprisingly difficult for me to think three-dimensionally, especially after a semester's work in flat tile.

Right now I am trying to find an appropriate next step in my search to understand my past and my nostalgia for it. These architectural pieces are my bridge to that comprehension. They are representations of early renaissance frames, with additions of architectural remembrances of my home from my childhood. The idea that I'm thinking about is that of homes, especially past homes, which tend to fill people with a reverence long after they have left them.

The Brain

2009-02-23T07:41:00.003-06:00

The brain is a workspace designed by Oska architects as a place of inspiration for a film maker client. The layout is based loosely on the form of a garage as a birthplace for innovative ideas. What i enjoy about the space is the obvious encouragement to sit or pace and mull over thoughts. And who would have known that the theoretical perfection of a glass box only needed books and a piano to become livable to a human? I'll take two, please.

The Green Chair Project

2009-02-22T22:45:00.007-06:00

I've been sitting on a collection of photographs that I took with my friend Mose Andre in the summer of 2002. The project was simple in premise: acquire an object from a thrift store and see how many different people we could photograph interacting with it. This evolved into a three day project of hauling a crappy green chair around the beautiful city of Spokane Washington, the results were well over a hundred portraits that reveal an unbiased sample of culture from the heart of the Inland Empire; we are no more than the sum of our parts.

fong choo

2009-02-22T17:01:00.003-06:00

I went to Fong Choo's workshop at red star studios a few weekends ago. Watching Fong work was an incredible experience, and I absorbed an immense amount of information from him. I find that a lot of potters want to be secretive with their glazes, recipies, and techniques sometimes, but Fong is very open. Almost every other thing he was doing was a new tidbit to use in studio. His candid attitude made the workshop very enjoyable. I even had someone ask me how I could sit watching one thing for so long(two days in a row even), but really I was learning so much that the time flew by.

He started many philisophical talks about what all of us in the room might do if we found someone had taken our works and had them mass-produced; taking less time and money, and selling them for more. His attitude was that if someone started making "fong choo pots" that he would simply proceed onto the next thing, and leave the imitator in the dust.

His attitude towards critique is also very genuine. He told us many times, "If you come into my studio, and tell me that my work sucks. I'm not going to tell you to get out, but ask why." He went through some of the gallery work at Red Star with us, and had an open critique about many pieces concerning spout placement, general shape, and lids of the teapots that were displayed. The workshop was not just a view into Fong's technique and way of working, but how he teaches as well. It was a very insightful experience, and I hope to study with Fong one day as his student, and not merely a looker-on.

First friday at the Belger

2009-02-16T23:38:00.003-06:00

First Friday at the Belger featured the artwork of Robert Stackhouse, a K.C.A.I. graduate. These extremely large prints were water colored and then fixed on to canvas to be displayed. Most of the works included one of two major themes, A snake that he found in the 60's, and nautical themes inspired from a decrepid row boat he bought off a poor boy. Robert also builds large temporary sculptures to give him something to paint on. One of these large scaffolding type passage ways was erected on the campus of K.C.A.I. for two years while Stackhouse attended school there in the 1990's. I was pleased to have been able to see this show on the last night it was open, my favorite piece was the ice skeleton, a print that was inspired by a story Stackhouse read in National Geographic.

The Potter's Tea Party - With a Workshop by Fong

2009-02-15T21:16:00.003-06:00

On Friday, February 6 I attended the opening reception of Red Star Studios biannual show "The Potter's Tea Party". This show features the work of a variety of artists from all over the country. This show celebrates each artists' individual interpretation of the tea ceremony and its accompaniments. Some of my personal favorites include the work of Sam Chung, Jennifer Allen, Linda Christen, Gay Smith, Malcolm Davis and Elizabeth Lurie.

In addition to a great new show, Fong Choo also presented a two - day workshop for Red Star Studios. Fong Choo is a native of the Republic of Singapore and is inspired by his Chinese heritage and the tradition of Yixing pottery. He is currenlty a parttime professor of ceramics at Bellarmine University in Loiusville, Ky and a fulltime studio potter.

Fong Choo specializes in the miniature teapot form. These teapots are often no larger than 5x5 inches. While these teapots are small in scale, their whimsical nature and the attention to detail immediately engage the viewer. Fong demonstrated several of the miniature teapot forms for us. He throws quickly and with very soft porcelain. He does all of his altering when the piece is freshly thrown. He uses his own handmade tools to do all of these alterations and when attaching the handles and feet.

During the first day of the workshop he threw a total of nine mini teapots and finished five of them by the end of the day. He also showed us examples of some of his more "functional" work and threw a larger teapot, mug and bowl. I found it very interesting to learn that he trims the bottom of his bowls and even his mini teapots then throws a coil foot after the trimming process is complete. In addition to the large quantity of work demoed, he also discussed his business philosophies with us. Fong Choo originally majored in business before deciding to major in art. It seems that his business experience has played a large role in his success as a full time studio potter.

POTS POTS POTS!!! (Click Here For SlideShow)

2009-02-10T23:48:00.004-06:00

So this semester I get to dream of all the nice forms I want to make and all the different ways I can make them. A few things I did from last semester have carried over. One: Im going to try to make a nice cone 10 super white that is reliable. Two: I love slip casting. I love the endlessness of the forms that can be made and the consistency of casting. And I will be trying my hand at the plaster wheel this year as well.
But fret not, for I am a potter at heart. My wheel work is my number one right now and I am definately relying on that for a good variety of forms and experimentation. Also, as for my wheel work, I am working on my ability to make a consistent, strong form more than just once. I feel like this is important for a number of obvious reasons.

What is Art? Why Clay?

2009-01-16T22:03:00.002-06:00

Misty Gamble's sophmore class from the Fall 08 semester had their thoughts published on Critical Ceramics. Click the title or here to read further!

war is not the answer. change we need

2009-01-05T17:53:00.004-06:00

in times like these America asked for change which we hope to receive. like lincoln we look to the right at obama the President elect for answers.

http://picasaweb.google.com/smithpaulanthony2/RecentWorks02#slideshow

Misty Gamble

2008-10-03T19:43:00.009-05:00

Misty Gamble is here at the Art Institute as a sabbatical replacement for George Timock for the fall semester of 2008. Today she shared her views about figurative ceramic sculpture while elaborating on the building techniques and source material used to create her work. It is always interesting to see how artist interact with their pieces while in the creative process. Misty is very gestural and physical when addressing her art. She moves around the piece at a quick rate surveying its form, rapidly adding and subtracting clay where needed. She has defiantly left her mark upon the students here.

studio

2008-09-26T11:47:00.005-05:00

Over the past two weeks I've been working on throwing bowls of different shapes and sizes. The trick for me is to try not to get stuck in a sort of production mode where i mindlessly throw bowls "the right way" over and over again. Not that I'm trying to make shoddy work, but i do tend to settle into certain patterns of throwing which limit the variety of form that i could achieve. So the goal is to work with a conscious eye and think about the features of pieces before throwing. For instance, I'm thinking "should the bottom be flat or rounded? Is this a high walled or low bowl? Does the lip curve in or flare and with what type of angle on the edge?" etc... I've started the the project with some brown stoneware and then started using a very dark stoneware body formulated by Val Cushing. I'm also starting to play with some subtle line work on the bare clay or through white slip. Hopefully I'll start firing soon and get an idea how the different stonewares are receiving glaze.

The Glazing Process (not doughnuts)

2008-09-25T22:12:00.003-05:00

In the first semester of my junior year, we are focusing on the wheel as a method of production. After several weeks of these practices, our class began glazing many of the works we produced. I chose to present a collaborative work from myself and Matthew Jorgensen who works alongside me in the studio. We switched back and forth on the wheel in the work's preliminary stages, which in turn led to a piece that had characteristics of both mine and Matthew's efforts. After bisque-firing the larger, low-pitched bowl, I applied a flashing slip to the interior surface of the bottom. Following this, I then applied 1/4" tape to the interior of the bowl, while paying close attention to detail in order to achieve a strict, linear result. This idea of "striping," comes into play for a number of reasons but mainly for its ability to formally translate basic design principles while lending itself as a base for decal work that will later play a role in this particular work. -Launch Slideshow-

Cybernetic Wombs and Beef Jerkey Nipples

2008-09-22T21:48:00.005-05:00

(click image for slide-show)

I'm working on a series of tiles that display figures in masks sitting in a circle. I'm intrigued by the thought of modern mysticism being some kind of diluted mess, where tradition gives way to ones personal selection of beliefs from any number of sources. We struggle to feel connection to something greater, but truth is illusive and like anything else, it is bound to perspective.

We are also working with layers of thin slabs stacked so that one can cut through the layers to create a design. This method is intended to model a prototype which would then be molded and duplicated using a plaster mold. I've made a few prototypes but have yet to refine it completely.

I'm pretty excited about some initial tests for developing texture by spraying slips. Even on a very flat surface, the particles have a tendency to flock into organic patterns, and even the finest scratch on the surface will effect that tendency. I don't know exactly where I'm going with this one either but it seems promising.

A Study of Texture

2008-09-22T13:48:00.003-05:00

Intuitive art.... that's what i am currently working on. Currently I am in the process of learning new ways to manipulate clay. From using syringes, to just take my shoe off and using the tread, this process is purely experimental for me at the moment. My hope is to find great texture that make china paint pop in a new way. Being in ceramics has taught me that i lack patients, so at this point in time I am trying to fix this by going with the flow. It takes a lot of time to see your dream work completed in clay, so I have decided to let intuition lead the way, and hope that what is produced will help me understand the processes, so I may go back and recreate at a much quicker pace.

mine to do with what I please

2008-09-22T03:20:00.010-05:00

The style of my pieces presently have a very streamlined, and aerodynamic feel. They are demure, and graceful with their curves, and exude a demeanor of femininity. They are much like the person I am not. It's interesting how pots can be so like their maker, or not outwardly connected. That a person who considers them self very quirky, loud, and unladylike for the most part could make something one would call dainty. Perhaps some pots try to out their maker, and show a side that isn't always immediately seen. Or maybe they just show how anal retentive their creator is, and everyone really knows that part anyway.

I am trying to connect the interior and exterior with a visual relationship in my pieces - to give each pot an aspect that draws the eye into the very bottom of the vessel. Similarly I am incorporating hidden writing on some part of these pieces to give the user an intimate relationship with it. Much like a discarded grocery list on the back of a receipt, or a personal note on the front page of a book can make the mundane special. These words change the tone and meaning of each piece, and it's relationship with it's final owner.

Longing for times unknown

2008-09-21T23:36:00.005-05:00

A few years ago my mom gave my photos of her and my family from a time before I was even thought of. These images of an era of youth and beauty during the '70s and '80s, along with found antique post cards, gave me a feeling of nostalgia for a time that I had never known. But looking at the images of my parents, my aunts and uncles at the age I am now somehow lends me to feel as if I know them in ways I would not be able to otherwise.

This leads me to a personal experience, one that feels closer to homesickness, a feeling generally not associated with an unknown place and time, but which I now connect with my own personal wistfulness for the places and times I have left behind in my own life. Strangely, the two merge to allow me to feel closer to home.

A demo into part of the tile process.

2008-09-21T23:27:00.009-05:00

The tile showcased in the slideshow is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. His work was primarily around the turn of the century, and was a major component of the craftsman style. This piece emphasizes craftsmanship, and the woman reflects the ideals of her time. Women of propriety from that era were never seen outside the home without their white gloves, and elegant dress. I want to explore what makes a woman, and how they are perceived in their respective times. I personally have had a lot of inquiry into what the matter means, to myself and others around me, to be a woman.
As a woman you are born into a class. You have no choice in the matter - it is assigned at birth. Based upon physical characteristics, and totally disregarding psychological disposition of the individual. Society assigns you a profile of what is acceptable and not for that gender. If your propensity falls outside of that, you are considered abnormal by conservative douche bags. This subject is quite versatile, and I am constantly being drawn back to this theme since I can personally relate to it. Link to Slide show describing my process.

I have a little help from a "friend" his name is don juan de marco, and he's a flippin hottie!!!!

the studio process

2008-09-21T23:09:00.006-05:00

as of this summer my work has been based on the consistent realistic imagery of Peter Paul Ruben paintings, he is one of the great masters from the northern baroque 17th century enlightenment period. so far he has created multiple paintings on satyrs and Bacus, with this i've transfered the imagery into a three dimensional ceramic tile as well as manipulating the idea of painting on flat tile panels in the process of creating a mural at a large scale.

in this studio space of mine i choose to situate myself where space is available to create these tile paintings which i pursue to get accomplished in the next few weeks. as of now the idea of painting with multiple slips seems like a great tricky situation of not showing the exact colors after the firings. i hope that each peace turns out to be correct on all aspect.

for images of my current work click here

oh please...let's not talk shop

2008-09-21T22:51:00.010-05:00

I am experimenting with the ideals of a lost and bygone era in cinematic history. By using imagery from silent film stars and "talkies" I am exploring the quintessence of this time seen in the media. The beginning of film is an important cog in the machine of documenting art and history.

My approach to the terracotta is rough, bordering around an elegant and smooth surface of figures. This gives the feeling of a long lost, precious object that was found in an archaeological excavation. I did a multi-layered stencil with black, grey, and white slips to the first few. I decided not to use colored slips for the imagery to keep the feel of silent films. However I plan to use colored glazes in the next firing - giving tribute to the creative awakening at the turn of the century which gave way to colored film, and new technologies. I am also experimenting with terra sigillatas & scraffito and working with figures from old photos & film stills in slab slice tiles to mass produce in a press mold.

Ole Lislerud

2008-09-15T10:03:00.007-05:00

Basic forms and space defines shape, my mind reconciles when I look at Ole Lislerud's work at the Daum Museum of Contemporary arts in Sedalia Missouri. Lislerud's piece is entitled "#8", which hangs stiffly on the gallery wall and I find myself at first just glancing. Glances turn into stares and this only occurs when a small attraction stimulates from a minor detail in the entire piece, which mutates as the seconds progress. What is apparent is evident, but I find myself enjoying the presence of a timeless emotion that lyrically moves in rhythm through lines, space, and silhouettes. Fast rhythms, motions of chaos. repetitive quickness of scribbles, unique curls, and slashes balance with dull muted colors that give the presence of the piece a feeling of bluntness. Simple but definitely complex in it's consistencies, which gives relation and when there is relation there is an understanding that substances boldly.

(poetic motions)\

Poetically dull and yet lively mutating in a boundary of a flat squared ceramic surface/ solid senses of identity/ viewers unconsciously become aware of/ the essence of Ole Lislerud stands as a document of abstract realities/in/ a phase of life.

Mr Stackhouse

2008-09-15T08:42:00.004-05:00

Last week while taking in the works at the Daum museum in Sedalia, Missouri, I was surprised to find that i had positive thoughts for a good little handful of pieces on display there. This is surprising to me because i often find that i like the interior spaces of galleries and museums more than the work within. Cheesy as it sounds, perhaps this is the reason i was drawn to the painting by Robert Stackhouse entitled, "Encountering Interior". This one was hanging in the gallery that was themed, "systems" or something involving that concept. It is a very warm composition of line work and architectural space. I think that what i am drawn to here is the neutral palette of very few colors, which manages to present a sense of visual depth and intuitive structure. There is no "real" space being represented here, but rather an imaginary place of quiet and implied safety. There is also a mysterious nature to the piece which makes one wonder what lies beyond the sideways arc of the path. i also enjoy how the image seems to melt or even put roots downward through the vertical dripping of washes at the bottom. in short, comfort and joy.

Beware of the Finger

2008-09-15T08:26:00.003-05:00

Recently on an excursion to first Friday, I had the unlucky misfortune to experience the wrath of a gallery owner. My offence was none other than the “Finger”. You may ask yourself what I was doing, “Sporting the Bird” or was this other socially fronded a pond, “mining finger”. No neither, this was the illustration finger: to point at an object to draw attention to a unique and interesting detail in the artist work. The artist was Rudy Autio and one of his dancing figures, but the work is of no difference to point.
We expect a certain amount of proprietary alarmed ness, with patrons coming into close contact with an artist work. Did I break the 18-inch? Rule? Yes, I would say I came within 6 to 10 inches. My point is this; many of us (artist) are very familiar with a process, and fill at liberty to come within working contact with another persons work. Do I have a license to do this? No, I’m an artist. Do I personally know this person? No, took my picture with him once.
We all want to have success in our chosen field, to have gallery representation, and be respected for our craft. Initially I was put out by this barking guard dog, but after thinking about the encounter. I realize I would want the same watchfulness and attention to detail for my ceramic children. Maybe next time I’ll think twice about my roaming finger.

Ruth Duckworth at the Daum

2008-09-15T08:12:00.002-05:00

last week Kansas City art Institute's Ceramic Department checked in at the Daum museum of contemporary art in Sadelia Missouri to view some of the great work they have to offer the community. there were many well known artist which such as Robert Stackhouse, Bobby Silverman, Chuck Close, Andy Warhol and KCAI's very own Jim Sajovic, but the work that stood out most was a tile piece by Ruth Duckworth 2000.

the colors and architectural aspect with the organic forms modeled in a symmetrical view gave a great sense of depth within its core, also each square contains a unique element to stabilize its visual function. getting really close to such pieces are great to be inform with details carried along with each form and so my imaginary skills went on to think about ways of emulating such gestures and craftsmanship. at a certain point i hesitated to touch but i didn't due to the fact that i was in a museum, but hope fully there will be a time soon where ill be able to get a taste of what its surface is like.

invention

2008-09-15T04:35:00.005-05:00

Over the summer I saw a few good shows in the Houston area. One of particular interest was at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences entitled - Leonardo da Vinci: Man, Inventor, Genius. There were over 60 working models of Leonardo's inventions that were handmade in Italy. Not of Leo's own hands of course, but modern Italian craftsmen.
One thing that I enjoyed learning was that not only did Leonardo invent many new contraptions for his day, but he greatly improved things that were already in existence as well. He made great leaps and bounds in the natural sciences, arts, agriculture, nautical sciences, aviation, and warfare. The greatest thing though about his attributes to warfare was his model of the first tank. The genius here is that he purposefully reversed some of the cogs so that the tank, if ever made, would be unable to move and function properly. Da Vinci predicted that if this were actually to be made, that the casualties would be devastating, and he didn't want to aid in the destruction of life, but in the development of the human intelligence.
Little known to many people, Da Vinci invented the first working robot, and car. These were somewhat made like clockwork objects in that springs needed to be wound to propell these objects. Also, everyone's favorite teenage mutant ninja turtle designed the first wiffle ball!

Discovery

2008-09-15T01:12:00.004-05:00

It is not very often that I come across a ceramic artist who truly baffles me. I'm not saying I know all about ceramics or anything, and I understand that one should often be in awe of the work that goes into most ceramic pieces, but I am never left completely blown away by a piece. I always find one thing about it that bothers me, or kinda leaves me unsatisfied. While at the Daum Museum last week, I came across 3 pieces that left me stunned. Seeing them in my pictures still gives me the same awe struck state of mind as I got when I was standing in front of them. Wouter Dam is the name of the Artist that created the 3 gravity defying pieces. The one in the photo above is called "Blue Piece #19". Looking at these pieces made me feel like time had stopped and the sections of matte colored fabric in front of me were suspended in the air. I couldn't help but do a little research on Wouter Dam after seeing these pieces. He makes them by throwing pieces and then assembling them together. He brings out the abstract by assembling the pieces in a dynamic and aesthetically pleasing manner. I am very glad I stumbled across this amazing work. It has inspired me to reconsider the things u can do with a wheel.

Bobby Silverman at Daum Museum

2008-09-14T18:39:00.004-05:00

The Kansas City Art institute ceramics department recently traveled to the Daum Museum of contemporary art in Sedalia, Missouri to view a variety of modern and contemporary works of art that date back to the mid-twentieth century. Of the many works on display, three large panels that read as paintings stood out to me. They were done by Bobby Silverman, an alumni of the Art Institute, who I was first introduced to last year when he came to lecture and give critiques to students. The Chinese manufactured tiles above were precisely crafted on top of being commercially glazed with rich hues that were daunting in real life and timeless in perspective. His work at the Daum explores ceramics as a vehicle for artistic as well as architectural design. Some aesthetic elements Silverman carried out in these works include their visual and physical presence in space which relied on scale, a warm-analogous color scheme, and a sense of minimalism similar to color-field painting that took place during the 1950's and on. More of his work can be seen by visiting alsio design.

Escaping the Labrynth at the Toy and Miniature Museum

2008-09-14T13:17:00.009-05:00

The frenzy of First Friday can be enticing, at least in theory. On the first Friday of every month museums and galleries burn their lights a little later into the evening, and empty warehouses are converted from mosquito breeding grounds to lively venues, showcasing the latest in mediocre works by mediocre artists. I don’t mean this to be condescending, or to classify myself above it, merely to be honest. There are diamonds in this pile of earth, but they are increasingly rare. Where has refinement of craft gone, and was it ever important?

In search of craft I stumbled into the Toy and Miniature Museum on the campus of UMKC. Sure it cost six bucks but I thought it would be worth a shot. My first impulse upon walking through the doors was, “oh, it’s one of these places”. It is in many ways just one of those places. Odd collectables dating back at the most a couple hundred years, of various American and European origins, stuffed bears, dolls, doll houses, toy soldiers and marbles.

The diamonds in this pile are not visible from the front of the museum. You have to walk toward the back, where dimly lit hallways showcase tiny dioramas inset into the walls. Every minute detail is carved and manipulated from the real corresponding material in these tiny models. Sure the door is only three inches tall but it is one of a kind handcrafted piece of art, assembled from planks of wood following the diagram of a real door, and the hinges, doorknob, and lock all function with the aid of a tiny key.

Craft is not dead, it is hiding in the basements and garages of elderly men.

Art in the Age of Steam

2008-09-13T15:16:00.005-05:00

Today was the opening of the "Art in the Age of Steam" exhibit at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art Bloch Building. It is a very impressive exhibit and I now think it is one of there best shows they've put on. There is vast range of artists and infomation, all celebrating the railroad as a mechanical marvel. At the beginning of the exhibit, there are books and an informational video about the importance and development of the steam railroad. This then leads you to six galleries full of paintings, prints, drawings, and photographs that show how artists responded internationally to the railroad. The painting The Railway (The Gare Saint-Lazare) by Edouard Manet was even included in the show - it is amazing to see it in person and I can't believe it's in Kansas City instead of some museum in Europe. Another famous piece to look for is the surrealist work Time Transfixed by Rene Margritte with the train in the fireplace. There is also impressionist paintings by Claude Monet, German expressionists Kandinsky and Kirchner, realistic works by Edward Hopper, and much more!

If you decide to go, put aside a few hours because there is alot to see. For students with ID it is $5 and $8 for adults. It will be open till January 18th, so there is lots of time to see it- But if you can't go they have some of the images here at the NAMA website.

Renegades at the Leedy-Voulkos

2008-09-13T09:58:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was the ubiquitous First Friday in the Crossroads district. I headed down with a group of friends packed into my car and arrived, surprisingly without incident, into the throng that seems to be every year's September First Friday. With what always seems to be some kind of organized chaos, we descended upon various galleries where interesting work mingled with the unexciting.
My first priority that night was to stop by the school gallery to see the work of our very own (see Paul's post). But on the way I made it out to the Leedy-Voulkos Gallery, where the Renegades of Funk show pulled me in from every direction. It was like a party with a DJ and action happening in every corner. The first thing I saw was a little girl with a paintbrush going at it on a wall. Across the room, Hector Casanova (pictured), a former instructor for the Foundations year at KCAI, was actively painting over another painting. All were part of an exhibition featuring underground artists. Putting their work up in a gallery defied the "street art" philosophy of having their art be accessible to all and not limited to gallery space. However, the aesthetic, technique and the overall feeling of what was happening - that it was all in-the-moment and involving both the viewers and artists - gave me a taste of that street art edge.

First friday

2008-09-09T22:28:00.041-05:00

First Friday was an assuring experience for my first exposure to the Arts in KC. It was overwhelmingly busy. April Hernandez, Korla Luckeroth, and Tera Polansky put up a great show titled Living, Longing, & Losing; Stories of the American Dream . The work was presented at the KCAI Crossroads gallery in downtown KC. Korlas' work utilizes hand-building techniques to to depict baron landscape. She uses gravity as a way to manipulate the flow of glaze to render sky and clouds. April Hernandez uses the potters wheel to make vessels inspired by the form language of "fine China". April emphasises decorative surfaces by using slip-trailing methods to create a feeling of elegance, delicacy and preciousness. Tera Polansky renders portraiture within the context of porcelain table-ware as a keepsake. Some work is illuminated in order to draw comparison between interior and exterior while others draw comparison through their arrangement and placement on the wall. Each object is one of a kind and manipulated by hand which further draws a dialog between the imagery used and the language of the the piece. While in the crossroad district I also went to the Sherry Leedy gallery and saw some great work. I went on a couple of rides, saw the statute of liberty and managed to put my foooooot in my mouth!

Anton Reijnders

2008-09-08T12:22:00.010-05:00

Anton's work utters tunefully. The subject of his work has a potent metaphorical context that can be simplified by simply understanding his purpose of random arrangement. Although his variation of objects become to copulate when the eye blurs and the objects become unified with whiteness. This is where he gains harmony with his subject matter, by creating a union of social bonds that are surreal, pure, and subjective. Promenading perspectives of genuine essences arranged uniquely, ridiculously, and strongly presented ceremonially. Inspiring other possibilities to the mind's imagination, either intriguing the desire to know or creating a personal dialect to it's voids. His work does not gives answers, but the evidence is often immaterial, irrelevant, and incompetent.

Shoji Hamada

2008-09-08T04:19:00.004-05:00

The work of Shoji Hamada is seemingly simple, yet powerful. He was a large founder of revitalizing the folk pottery tradition in Japan around the 1940's.
Hamada's style is simple, well crafted wares with the air of wabi-sabi in mind. He had mastered in his time a well recognizable technique of dripping his glaze decorations. Many, like this one, have a very calligraphic nature. On this particular piece, Hamada used a wax resist to paint the figures, and dipped the entire piece in a luscious, earthy glaze to contrast the bare clay body that makes up the design. The calligraphic elements are in an uneven sequence, and all touch the mid-line for anchorage. They are reminiscent of animals or human figures. The uneven edges of the linework embody the desired overall sense of wabi-sabi - the beauty in use and naturalness.
Part of the mingei folk pottery tradition is that the works are not directly signed by the artist, but that each artist has their own style distinct enough to set their works apart. Not signing the work directly makes the potter humble. However, all aspects of the pieces are considered, and each piece of pottery usually comes with a box or case that is sometimes signed by the artist.
Hamada was deemed a living national treasure of Japan in the 1950's. His works are understated, yet explicitely graceful, and have freedom of design.

Christina West

2008-09-08T04:04:00.003-05:00

I saw Christina West's show at the Bray when I was driving from Portland to KC in August 2007. Her website is a little bare in my opinion. There's no talk about her work, her inspirations or methods. I can tell you that her pieces are all smaller than life size and that she attains the color through acrylic paints, not glazes. I really enjoy the color combinations and the way it intersects the body. In person these pieces have a tendency to make you feel uncomfortable at first and I love it when sculpture hits me on a gut level.

Anthony Pack

2008-09-07T23:39:00.005-05:00

Anthony Pack work reminds me of childhood toys, playful, bright and simple. I am able to respect his resourcefulness, creative problem solving, allowing the recycled material to aid to the illustrated scene. Many of the subjects have a ridiculousness to them, that evokes laughter and smiles. As with most humor there is a timeliness to the subject, that might date his work. Though I feel his craft will set him apart, and give him a mark of distinction.

Hans Wegner

2008-09-07T22:56:00.003-05:00

Hans Wegner was one of the top designers of the Danish modernist movement in the fifties and sixties. I find myself very attracted to chairs, especially those created by the northern gods of design (Scandanavians). Hans Wegner produced many beautiful, simple furniture designs which often used unstained wood and woven rush seats and yet had a look of clean, intentional modernism. I also enjoy the emphasis that was always placed on craftsmanship and have tried to absorb something of this attitude in my own creative thinking.

Jeanne Claude and Christo

2008-09-07T21:50:00.007-05:00

Christo and Jeanne CLaude are an Artist couple who live and work in Manhattan New York. Jeanne Claude more so is in charged of the office work while Christo focusses on the design of their next installment with drawings he create in his upstairs apartment. their work are mainly up for a few weeks at a time but the process of endorsement and permission for such large installations would take up to 20 years or more. Christo's work comes with the sense of architecture and design with the colors and fabrics used. so far they have compleated many works together; the next upcoming event will take place on the Arkansas river in southwest Colorado over the course of two weeks in the summer of 2012.

He uses the skills of a great draftsman in his collage to define space and placement of each view of his work.

for more info on this artist couple upcoming event visit www.overtheriverinfo.com

Maki Tamura

2008-09-07T21:28:00.007-05:00

It may look like a ceramic tile piece but it's not. Maki Tamura designs beautiful ornamented works using wood and watercolors on paper. The time she puts into her craft (tediously cutting, glueing, and painting) makes it truly deceptive to those of us who deal with clay everyday. Although she comes from a japanese background, her style influences come from the rococo motifs of 18th and 19th century European arts.

Here is a link to her series "The Enlightenment" in the Lucas Schoormans Gallery back in 2006> http://www.lucasschoormans.com/index.php?mode=artists&object_id=28.

Collaged whimsy

2008-09-07T14:05:00.006-05:00

Gracia Haby is an artist working and living alongside Louise Jennison in Melbourne, Australia. Haby's paper collages grace many of their collaborative books, zines, and lithographic prints. Her images, often whimsical and funny in nature, speak to the viewer as if from a different world. This work is from an occasional series based on postcards received from friends. The postcards themselves have been transformed beneath Haby's skillful hands from images of known and recognizable locations to become otherworldly, almost ethereal landscapes. Each accompanies a message. This postcard collage titled At First All Was Not Clear, partners the following:

May 10th, 1904

Dear you,

The great big trees of California live up to their promise and name. An ancient open air cathedral, all quiet here in this forest of mostly pines and firs.

I have discovered, though not first hand, that bad luck knocks on the door of those who cut down big trees, or shoot in the direction of an owl.

The space allocated for a message seems to grow smaller and smaller with each postcard. Hope to sight the once thought extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker. If I sit very still I think I will be in with a sporting chance.

Fir cones and Racoon tracks,

Whoa! Wayne!!

2008-09-07T13:03:00.003-05:00

What always seems to catch my eye with Mr.Wayne Thiebaud is his ability to make landscapes really pop! The way he places contrasting colors next to one another to create shadow and depth amazing. Wayne is known mostly for his painting of cakes and other food items, but he also did a series of country and city scapes. By simplifying areas of detail into a series of colors, he gives more feeling to the piece than it would have if he portrayed it as is. As a viewer, i find it much more appealing if an artist shows me something i look at all the time in a was that is beyond just seeing it. This picture is of his piece called "Winding River". I chose this picture, because i thought it was a prime example of his ability to feel a place, and simplify it into large blocks of color and flowing lines.

"Lisa Sanditz"

2008-09-07T11:40:00.010-05:00

Lisa Sanditz' paintings are a combination of strong contextual awareness and aesthetic intelligence. From the application of her acrylic based works, to her subject matter, and even her color, we can really gain a sense of complexity within the subjects. This complexity is relative to eastern and western parts of the United States as well as the loose depiction of the city Datang in China (Sock City). Her paintings appear to be documents of travel, and even communities or places in which she has been. She gives her audience viewpoints and insight through exxagerrated forms, color choice, texture, arrangement of subject matter, and scale.

The majority of Sanditz' painting appear to be modernistic landscapes with a bit of quirkiness. In her above piece titled "Landscape with Sunset, Exit 19," Sanditz creates delineation between her background and foreground with an intense play between vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines. Also notable is the conflict she has created in this painting by combining warmer colors against cooler foreground colors. Using depth and perspective, Sanditz creates what appears to be an underground community in this work. Note: more of her works can be acceseed by clicking on the above link titled "Lisa Sanditz."

Jason Tarbell

2008-09-06T15:20:00.010-05:00

Jason Tarbell uses an open source programing language called Processing to generate his images. They render using algorithmic probabilities which allows generation of a new image each time the program is run.

His compositions can be viewed in Java applets as they actively construct themselves.

Launch Jason Tarbell Applet

Processing is a programming language that was designed at MIT specifically for artists and designers. The language is approachable for people with minimal or no experience with other programming languages. It allows complex 2-d and 3-d rendering, as well as audio processing and control of micro controllers. There are more examples and a great book available through the Processing website.

Decorative and functional

2008-09-04T22:22:00.004-05:00

In thinking about images to start this blog, I decided to choose a piece by Nancy Blum, a ceramic artist who works in multimedia and combines decorative elements with everyday objects. Nancy is predominately known for her large scale public works and installations. She also works more intimately with her drawing and painting often incorporating cast components made of various materials, such as ceramic, bronze, aluminum, and resin. This image is a manhole cover she designed for Seattle City Lights Utility Company through a commission from the Seattle Arts Commission. There are manhole covers placed in 50 locations throughout the city. "Cast in iron, the 'flowers' are meant to graphically represent the city and the "electric" pattern underlying is meant to reference the utility." -Blum, 2001