by Carole Epp | Feb 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
Clay, to me, has a historical presence. It seems forever connected to our past and our cultural formation. I find that the material is imbued with a sense of time as if it were saturated with memories themselves.
This work is meant to straddle the present, simultaneously looking back to the past and towards the future. It catalogues the act of making, of constructing, of inventing, and reinventing.
Peter Johnson currently lives and works in La Grande, Oregon where he is an Associate Professor of Art at Eastern Oregon University. He earned his MFA from The Pennsylvania State University and a BS in Environmental Science at Wheaton College. Peter has been a resident artist and Visiting lecturer at the Alberta College of Art and Design, Australian National University, and the Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts. His work has been exhibited in Canada, Australia, and through out the United States.
www.peterchristianjohnson.com
by Carole Epp | Feb 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
Installation: White Athabaska III, Red, Red III, Red IV Athabaska 120 W x 75 H inches
Shifted & Drift Ceramic, Terra Sigillata, Oil Paint 74 H x 58 W inches, 25 H x 52 W x 91 L inches
Red Athabaska IV Ceramic, Acrylic 36 W x 73 H inches
@font-face { font-family: “Arial”; }@font-face { font-family: “Goudy Old Style”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); }div.Section1 { page: Section1; Xanthe Isbister was born in 1980 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Honors degree from the University of Manitoba in 2004 and her Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2008. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Lila Acheson Wallace Readers Digest Scholarship, from the University of Manitoba, a Hixson-Lied Graduate Fellowship and the Eisentrager Howard Scholarship from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Most recently she was awarded a Special Opportunities grant from the Manitoba Arts Council, and is currently a yearlong artist in residence at the Medalta International Artists in Residence in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Since 2002 she has exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at the National Conference on Education for the Ceramic Arts in Phoenix, AZ. Her large ceramic sculptures and installations explore the psychological significance and impact the natural environment has on human identity.
Installation: Burnt Ceramic and Glazes 144 H x 240 W x 180 L inches
www.xantheisbister.com.
by Carole Epp | Feb 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
COLLECT 2011, 6-9 May: Public viewing
Relaunched at the Saatchi Gallery in May 2009, COLLECT has an enviable reputation as a premier, annual fair for contemporary craft. Through its presentation of work from the best international applied artists, COLLECT has become a prestigious event in the international cultural calendar gaining the respect and support of many private collectors, museum curators and galleries.
For more info please visit their website.
by Carole Epp | Feb 19, 2011 | Uncategorized
American Craft Council Show
February 24-27
Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, MD, USA
More than 700 contemporary home decor, clothing, furniture and jewelry artists will show their wares at the American Craft Council Show, America’s largest juried, indoor craft show. The event provides a wide selection of crafts and artworks including furniture and decorative accessories for lawn & garden, environmentally friendly art, art made by college students and a new section for 2011: handmade objects under $100. The American Craft Council also organizes shows in Atlanta (March 11-13), St. Paul (April 15-17), and San Francisco (August 12-14).
http://shows.craftcouncil.org/baltimore
via the independent
by Carole Epp | Feb 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
Bio
As a child my parents took me on numerous trips to wonderful places such as Berea College, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, and any potter’s studio that was open along the roadside. My parents always had Rowe Pottery and Bennington Pottery around the house and I became intrigued by the texture of the clay and the raised slip decoration. At the time I just thought it was fun but, in retrospect, it was the foundation for my love for ceramics.
When I enrolled at Kalamazoo College I planned on majoring in Biology. However when I was a sophomore my dad sat me down and advised me that he thought I should pursue what I really loved and what made me happy. At that point I changed majors and graduated in 2002 with a B.A. in Fine Arts and Art History.
Having worked for several ceramic artists I decided to open my own studio in 2005.
Artist Statement
I strive to make work that is well made and a pleasure to hold. My work is decorated with images that range from humorous to more abstract. My hope is to create pieces that enhance everyday life from drinking your morning coffee to enjoying your favorite piece of cake.
My designs are influenced from taking walks. It is during these walks alone I clear my head and observe everything from architecture to wildlife. Did you know there are freshwater jellyfish? Or what osage oranges are? I like looking at objects without distractions so I can absorb their form and process it into my own designs.
www.bellajoypottery.com
by Carole Epp | Feb 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
It’s been a bit hectic around here again. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m getting pretty excited about my upcoming show at the Mendel. I had a great studio visit on the weekend which left me feeling dare I say it out loud…confident about the how the works were coming together and how the content was becoming visual. I know there are always ups and downs when we make work. We fluctuate in a love/hate relationship with our ideas, our manifestations of those ideas, and somedays, even our career path itself.
So i’m chosing to relish in one of the rare days that I feel like things are on track. My fingers are still crossed however as there is a large flat piece in the kiln as I write and we all know how that turns out sometimes…
So while the kiln climbs and I enjoy the warmth it creates in my studio; as large flakes of snow continue to fall and add to the already close to a foot of new powder that has fallen since last night; I will leave you with a few sneak peaks at what i’ve been working on.
