Kaleidoscope in Clay

Transcription

1 Kaleidoscope in Clay Ceramic artwork has existed for thousands of years and is found among almost all cultures. Although ceramics first appeared as simple utilitarian objects, they quickly evolved into works of artistic, symbolic, and even religious significance. Contemporary artists in the Bay Area draw on a wide range of traditions and techniques. Modern materials and technology, as well as the influence of our own contemporary culture, have greatly expanded the expressive possibilities for today s artists. The Kaleidoscope in Clay exhibition consists of a selection of pieces employing a range of ceramic techniques to express the unique vision and style of each artist. The exhibit was prepared as part of the Phantom Galleries program, sponsored by the City of San Jose, in September,. The exhibit location is 70 South 1 st Street, San Jose, California. The Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild was formed to foster a creative, innovative and supportive environment for the education of students, professionals and the public in the ceramic arts. Membership is open to anyone, age 16 or over, with an interest in working with clay. We welcome professional and hobbyist potters, as well as those who are simply interested in developing an appreciation for the ceramic arts. Our activities include regular meetings, workshops, shows, and sales. The guild also maintains a mailing list for people interested in the ceramic arts and pottery, and publishes the newsletter Greenware. We are located in the South Bay / Peninsula area in Northern California. Meetings are currently held in Sunnyvale; locations of workshops and other guild activities vary. For information on our activities, please visit our website at or call (866) extension 1075 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 1

2 Exhibition Catalog Pieces featured in the exhibition are listed on the following pages, sorted by the artist s last name. To contact an individual artist, visit the Guild website at and check the Artist area of the site for contact information. If you cannot find a particular artist, send to info@ovcag.org or call (866) extension 1075 Blue Rainbow 59 Marsha Anderson High-fire. Multiple dipped glazes: Woo blue, blue tenmoku, and China white. 9 x 3 Pitcher 21 Linda Astill Wheel-thrown and textured. High-fire stoneware. 7 x 6 Vase 20 Linda Astill Wheel-thrown and textured. High-fire stoneware. 11 1/2 x 5 1/2 Black Rutile Goblet 49 Paz Bar-am Wheel-thrown in two pieces. Oxidation fired with matte black and rutile glazes. 9 x 4 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 2

3 Egyptian Jug 51 Paz Bar-am Unglazed, oxidation fired. 15 with stand Pot 24 Joseph Battiato Pit-fired 17 high x 8 diameter Pot 25 Joseph Battiato Luster glaze 22 high x 12 diameter Elegantiance 35 Joy Butler Wheel thrown on three sections. High-fire with white glaze and copper carbonate spray. 15 x 10 Ocean Voyage 55 Joy Butler Wheel-thrown in two donuts with attached pieces. Texture applied to bisque. Salt fired. 13 1/2 x 8 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 3

4 Book of the Ancients 64 Dotti Cichon Raku with copper patina glaze. Embellished with copper wire, beads, raffia and antique Chinese coins 7 x 11 x 2 plus wooden stand Ceremonial Vessel 63 Dotti Cichon Raku with copper glazes. Embellished with bamboo, raffia, and antique Chinese coin 13 x 6 x 2 Large Ikebana Planter 62 Dotti Cichon Hand built. Raku with copper patina glaze. 8 x 13 x 3 Agua Luna 36 Cindy Couling High-fired stoneware, hand built (slump mold). Low fire commercial underglazes applied in multiple washes and outlined with underglaze pen. Transparent glaze. 15 x 20 Untitled Bottle 34 Cindy Couling High-fired stoneware, hand built from slabs. Clay is stamped with an original lino-block carving. Laguna green glaze, embellished with copper wire and beads. Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 4

5 8 x 18 Yume-Ji (Dream Road) 37 Mahoko Dahte 1999 Stoneware, raku fired 12 1/2 x 8 x 1 1/2 Concord 7 Mahoko Dahte 2000 Soda-fired stoneware 20 x 11 x 12 Floating Bowl I 52 Falline Danforth Red stoneware clay, hand built, slab construction. High-fired with spodumene glaze. 15 x 13 x Fish 29 Falline Danforth Red stoneware clay, hand built and raku-fired. Copper patina glaze. This piece was made on the evening of I just took my mallet to the clay and stopped when the fish emerged. 20 x 4 x 7 Desert Heaven 54 Saskia Dinh Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 5

6 Wheel-thrown porcelain, hand carved. Mid-fire with matte white glaze. 10 diameter Owl & Wolf Shaman Mask 26 JoAnn Gilleland 1999 Hand-built and raku fired. White crackle, copper patina, and kuroka red glazes. 14 x 7 Father Dragon 1 Max Gilleland 1999 High-fire sculpture. Hand built with slab and coil methods. Glazes include Laguna green, matte black and waxy white, with red iron stain. Plastic eyes. 14 high, 8 diameter Fig Leaf Bowl 33 Irene Jenkins Hand built, high-fire stoneware. Multiple stains under Bruce s white glaze. 11 x 15 x 2 1/2 Vase 30 Irene Jenkins High-fire reduction. Celedon and copper red glaze. 8 x 8 Halloween Hula 27 Peggy Ann Johnston 1998 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 6

7 Mid-fire stoneware with Ming gunmetal glaze. Embellished with wire, beads and sequins. 19 x 5 x 3 Mother Nature: Who Needs a Sleeve 28 Peggy Ann Johnston Mid-fire. Surface finish is acrylic wax with pearlescent & metallic luster pigments, applied in many layers and burnished. Glass heart created by artist Tom Simpson using lampwork technique. Copper wire and steel stand created by Floyd Phillips. 33 x 15 x 2 Nigerian Udu Drums 69 Liz King Coil built. Newman s red terra sigillata applied over white stoneware. Bisqued and smoked with burning newspaper. Stands are grapevine wreaths, spray painted black. Varies (set) Standing Tall 67 Liz King 2000 Red stoneware, stacked and paddled. Stacked on rebar in wooden block. Copper carbonate stain, high-fired in reduction. Tickle Me 58 Liz King 1999 Red stoneware pinch pot. Tenmoku glaze inside, copper carbonate glaze outside. High-fire reduction. Embellished with domestic peacock feathers and faux bone. Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 7

8 Garden Vessel 61 Phyllis Lee 2000 Stoneware with iron oxide stains 13 high x 18 wide Untitled 6 Janet Leong Malan High-fire stoneware with stain 10 Memorial 10 Linda Mau 1999 Pit-fired stoneware 17 tall Just Triangles (Octahemioctahedron) 42 Kiyoco Michot 1999 Hand built, slab construction. Raku fired in reduction. 6 x 6 x 6 Sunflower 13 Lee Middleman High-fire stoneware, thinly glazed. 6 tall x 10 1/2 diameter Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 8

9 Untitled 32 Bob Nicholson Horsehair applied to a wheel-thrown pot in a southwestern form. 4 high x 8 diameter Earth and Fire 68 Abby O Connell Raku 8 x 8 March to the Beat of a Different Drum 9 Heather Lehfeldt Pedersen Dumbëk drum. High-fire clay, reduction-fired. Dipped glazes, celedon over Woo blue. Goat skin head soaked in cold water, tied with wax string and glued with wood glue. 12 high by 9 diameter Untitled 4 Heather Lehfeldt Pedersen Stump was slab-built, humped over newspaper and carved; man was carved from solid clay, and hat was modeled. Bisqued, then colored with unfired stains. 6 high Homage to a Poet 70 Lidia Seroussi Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 9

10 Red clay, reduction fired in a gas kiln. Hand built from coils; stamped, glazed, then wiped off to leave glaze only inside the letters. Wayfarer, the only way is your footsteps, there is no other. Wayfarer, there is no way, You make the way as you go. As you go, you make the way and stopping to look behind, you see the path that your feet will never travel again. Wayfarer, there is no way Only from trails in the sea. 9 x 6 From Proverbs and Song-Verse by Antonio Machado ( ) translated by Abu S. Trueblood Cattoo 60 Sara Swink Paperclay. Underglaze and low-fire glazes. 25 x 6 x 6 Caped 15 Monika Turek High fired 8 x 5 x 5 Fall 46 Monika Turek 10 x 9 x 5 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 10

11 Resting Angel 16 Monika Turek 2000 Bisque-ware with wax 7 x 5 x 4 Witches Mug 45 Monika Turek 7 x 5 x 5 Copper Red Vase 66 Stephen Young White stoneware, high-fire reduction. Copper red glaze. 5 3/4 high x 5 1/2 diameter Shino Bowl 65 Stephen Young White stoneware, high-fire reduction. Mushikui (worm-eaten) texturing with iron stain and chattering 4 high x 5 3/4 diameter New Mexico Style Lantern 41 Frank Zimmermann 1975 Raw clay decorated with red iron oxide. Incised holes and added detail. High-fired in gas kiln. Made in New Mexico. 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 5 1/2 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 11

12 Plate with Handles 38 Frank Zimmermann 1993 Ash glaze over white glaze and raw clay. Clay contains ilmenite (iron and titanium oxide) to give iron spots. Mid-fired in electric kiln. Made in Virginia. 9 3/4 X 9 3/4 X 1 1/2 White Raku Vase with Designs 40 Frank Zimmermann 1990 Raku with white crackle glaze. Designs applied with wax resist. Made in Virginia. 14 x 10 x 10 Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 12

13 Credits Pieces for the exhibition were selected by Eduardo Lazo, MFA. The exhibition was assembled and installed by Marsha Anderson, Falline Danforth, JoAnn Gilleland, Max Gilleland, Liz King, Kiyoco Michot, and Monika Turek, with planning and coordination by Bob Nicholson. Kaleidoscope in Clay is one of the first exhibitions in the San Jose Phantom Galleries program, in which community artists enliven street-level downtown windows with colorful exhibits and installations. Phantom Galleries is produced by Two Fish Design Group, part of POPULUS Presents, a public space activation collective coordinated by the San Jose Downtown Association in partnership with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency. For more information on the Phantom Galleries program, call Two Fish Design Group at (408) or visit: Glossary Bisque fire: the first firing of a ceramic item, makes the piece hard and strong for subsequent glazing. Coil built: Hand built by attaching thin coils or ropes of clay. Hand Built: Constructed without use of a wheel. High-Fire: Generally refers to ceramics fired at temperatures of 2340 Fahrenheit or higher. High-fire works are generally strong and durable. High-fire glazes often appear rich or deep, but color choices may be limited because the extreme temperatures cause many colorants to break down. Many artists work exclusively with high-fire ceramics. Horsehair: A pot or other ceramic object is remover from the kiln while still hot often as much as 1800 Fahrenheit. Long hairs from a horses tail, or other combustible materials such as feathers of strands of fiber, are carefully draped onto the surface. As the materials ignite and burn, the carbon from their combustion is permanently trapped in the clay, leaving black or gray patterns on the pot. The finished work may be protected with a light coating of wax or similar material. Horsehair pots are not waterproof and should not be used with food or liquids. Kiln: The oven used for firing ceramics. Kilns may be electric, gas, or even wood fueled. They are rated for different temperature ranges, but most can be used to fire ceramics at well over Low-Fire: Generally refers to ceramics fired at temperatures ranging from approximately 1600 to 2000 Fahrenheit. Low fire pottery may be very colorful and Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 13

14 decorative, because a wide range of glaze colors are available for this temperature range. Low fire ceramics are often used for small sculptures and jewelry. Mid-Fire: Generally refers to ceramics fired at temperatures ranging from approximately 2124 to 2232 Fahrenheit. Produces durable pottery with a good range of glaze and color choices. Mid-Fire kilns are increasingly popular in small studios. See also High- Fire and Low-Fire. Oxidation: A firing process in which the oxygen level in the kiln is kept relatively high. See also Reduction. Paper Clay: A mixture of paper fibers and clay. Paper clay can be used for ceramic sculptures, or for repairing pieces that are damaged before the final firing. The fibers give the mixture strength while waiting for the piece to be fired. They are completely burned away during the firing process. Pinch Pot: Hand built by gradually pinching a ball of clay into a bowl or other form. Pit-Fire: Pots are placed in a shallow pit, surrounded by a coloring medium that may contain sawdust, straw, manure, salt, copper, or other ingredients. A bonfire is built over the pots, which may reach temperatures of 1300 to 1600 Fahrenheit. Chemical vapors are released in the firing, and produce swirling flashes of red, orange, black, blue, or other colors on the pot. Finished pieces are sometimes protected with a coating of wax or other sealers. Pit-fire pottery is generally not waterproof and should not be used with food or liquids. Porcelain: A fine-grained white stoneware (clay), often translucent. Raku: A special firing technique first developed in Japan over 500 years ago. Raku became popular in the United States in the 1960 s, though the technique was greatly changed by American potters. In a raku firing, a pot or other ceramic item is removed from the kiln while glowing hot, and then placed in a container of combustible materials such as sawdust or newspaper. The resulting oxygen-starved, carbon-rich atmosphere creates dramatic glaze effect, and blackens unglazed areas of the pot. Finished raku pieces are sometimes protected with a coating of wax or other sealers. Raku ware is not waterproof and should not be used with food or liquids. Exposure to sunlight may dull the vibrant metallic colors of some raku pieces. Reduction: A firing process in which the oxygen level in the kiln is reduced. This alters the chemistry of glazes, and often produces dramatic color effects. See also Oxidation. Salt-fire: A process in which salt is introduced into the kiln during the firing. The sodium vapors combine with silica and alumina in the clay to form a glaze on the surface of the pot. Salt has been used for glazes as early as the 14 th century. Slab built: Hand built by attaching thin slabs of clay. Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 14

15 Slip: A thick mixture of clay and water. Slip may be painted onto dry ceramics to produce a smooth surface before firing, or may be used an a glue to attach pieces of clay when hand-building ceramics. Slip cast: Produced by pouring a thick mixture of clay and water into a mold. This technique is often used in producing commercial ceramics. It is not used in the ceramic arts and crafts community. Soda-fire: A process in which soda is introduced into the kiln during the firing; the vapors form a glaze on the surface of the pot. See also Salt Fire. Stoneware: A type of high-fire clay; strong and dense when fully fired. Terra Sigillata, or Terra Sig: a thin liquid consisting of very fine clay particles suspended in water. Terra Sig is painted on dry ceramics and lightly buffed before firing. The result is a smooth, shiny surface, without the use of glaze. This technique was discovered and refined in ancient Greece. Underglaze: Coloring agents that are painted onto a pot before final glazing and firing. These agents do not form a glass surface, and so they are not technically glazes themselves. The colorants are protected somewhat from breakdown by the glaze applied over them, and therefore allow brighter colors to be achieved on high-fire ceramics. Wheel: A spinning platform, often motorized, that allows a potter to quickly form a bowl, pot, vase, or similar shape from wet clay. Prior to the development of the wheel, pots were formed by pressing together coils of clay, or by pressing wet clay over a mold or form. Wood-fire: Pots are fired in a wood-fueled kiln, often over a period of several days. Surprisingly, efficient wood-fire kilns can often reach high-fire temperatures. Ash from the wood actually melts onto the pots, forming dramatic glaze effects. Kaleidoscope in Clay - Copyright, Orchard Valley Ceramic Arts Guild Page 15