Small Transgressions II
Opening Thursday June 2nd 7pm
(show runs until June 18th)
Fourteen artists present new works that disturb the boundaries of their
individual practices. Through critical reflection and collaborative
exchange, unexpected themes and forms have emerged over a ten month
mentorship program led by Linda Sormin, and programmed by FUSION: The Ontario Clay and Glass Association.
Close observations of nature collide with the forms and realities of
urban life. Experimentation with raw materials is unearthing memories,
reshaping personal metaphors and once-familiar landscapes. Through
photography, video, pottery and sculpture, these artists unsettle
established ways of thinking and making.
Are small transgressions the slippery slope to bad behavior?
These conversations offer diverse interpretations of play, threat,
beauty, gesture, sexuality, parenthood, family, community and
environment. In sharing ideas and concerns, examining potential pitfalls
and solutions, this group of makes has in many ways sped up their
artistic research, yet slowed the impulse to cast judgment. Fearlessly,
gently tending to bright wounds of doubt, these artists have created
bodies of work that articulate distinct visions in the contemporary
context.
Linda Sormin
The gallery is pleased to be asked to host this exhibition with works
from the original exhibit plus they had created new works to compliment
using the knowledge they have taken away with them
Please join Jonathon & and I in welcoming Small Transgression II to London
Brian Cooke Curator
258 Dundas Street London, ON
519-434-5443
[email protected]
jonathons.ca
Northern Clay Center Announces 2016 Emerging Artist Residents
Clay Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the Jerome Ceramic
Artist of Color Residency, Anonymous Artist Studio Fellowships, and
Fogelberg Studio Fellowships; Ellie Bryan (Minneapolis, MN), Valerie
Ling (Valley Stream, NY), Lily Fein (Syracuse, NY), Gillian Doty
(Portland, ME), and Gregory Palombo (Alfred, NY). The new residents will
join Northern Clay Center in September. The work produced during these
yearlong residencies will be on display in a group exhibition that will
take place in January 2018, at Northern Clay Center.
Bryan, awarded the inaugural Jerome Ceramic Artist of Color Residency,
will spend her residency exploring soda and wood-firing techniques.
Bryan is interested in incorporating ideas of animism, ancestry, and
tradition in her work. This residency allows artists a unique
flexibility and will give Bryan an opportunity to focus on her
development as a ceramicist, rather than produce work with a
sales-driven focus. In a recent interview, Bryan shared her interest in
animals and their place in her work, “I
believe that the animals around us—found either in their natural
habitat or in the new habitats we, as humans, have created for
ourselves—have stories to tell us. They are messengers and harbingers of
the old and new. As spiritual beings, animals have a connection with
the earth that we once held, but must now struggle to rekindle. I
interpret these beliefs by creating imagery on pots that embody these
messages to forge a unity that is so often lost between creature and
place.”
Artist Studio Fellow, Valerie Ling employs bright colors and absurd
imagery to explore her interest in the worry-free imagination of
children. Ling expresses hope for her work to, “bridge the world of pure
imagination to the reality of adulthood”. She seeks to capture the
innocent, limitless possibilities we experience as children and
challenges viewers to allow themselves to be free-spirited creators. Her
intricate sculptural pieces evoke the purity of childhood joy and
expose her observations about how we, “learn to grow fearful of things
and [become] self-conscious of our silly ideas and behaviors”. With the
resources at NCC, Ling hopes to experiment with larger-scale sculptures,
while further challenging the boundaries of absurdity.
NCC from Syracuse, NY, Lily Fein intends to spend her year as Anonymous
Artist Studio Fellow immersed in sculptural vessels that she believes,
“speak to intimacy in human relationships and with the hand.” Fein
states, “I want to facilitate experiences like these where touch
permeates the mundane.” Fein’s work is significantly shaped by the
awareness of touch and communicates this with thoughtful texture and
decisive forms. With a background in Art and Ceramics History, Fein
approaches her ceramic work with a strong academic intent informed also
by her writing practice and voracious reading.
Doty’s existing affiliation with atmospheric firing practices will be
further explored during his year in residence as Fogelberg Studio
Fellow. Doty’s work offers an array of colors that call attention to his
bold geometric and ovoid forms. Interested in concepts of weight,
visual mass, simplicity, and fluidity of line, Doty creates both
handbuilt and wheel-thrown functional pieces. He states, “These pots are
cut, shaved, slapped, scratched and molded into a finished form.” His
variety in process is reflected in his diverse yet intensely cohesive
work. Currently based in Portland, Maine, Doty is looking forward to
experiencing the rich history of studio ceramics in the Midwest.
Studio Fellow, Gregory Palombo will join Northern Clay Center from
Alfred, New York, where he is currently finishing a BFA program at New
York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Song Dynasty
Qingbai-ware inspires his material choices and both the Bauhaus movement
and architect Adolf Loos have influenced his focus on functionality.
Palombo’s volumetric forms often appear to be swelling; imitating flower
buds or balloons. During his residency, Palombo is looking forward to
making use of NCC’s extensive ceramics library and said of his research
process, “I look at
history and if I find something appealing I try integrate it into my
work, most of the time this integration is slow and full of failures so
it takes some time and studio research to flush things out in a
satisfactory way.”
Clay Center provides resources and a space for ceramicists to further
their practice. Northern Clay Center is looking forward to welcoming these five artists into this diverse and rich community of makers.
Rob Froese @ Mata Gallery
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Mould Making @ Medalta with CLINT NEUFELD
Monday, August 8 – Friday, August 12, 2016
$700(CAD) + 5% GST
Registration Deadline: July 8, 2016
Enrollment limited to 12 participants
Instructor: Clint Neufeld
Clint Neufeld will guide you through all aspects of mold making and
slip casting in this 5-day workshop. Participants will have the unique
opportunity to join Clint in creating a multi-piece mold of a piece of
machinery from Medalta’s boneyard.
Fee includes:
- 24 hour Medalta studio access
- Full access to the entire Historic Clay District site
- All support materials
Artist responsible for:
- Accommodations: Units are reserved at Medicine Hat College Student Housing; call 403.529.3820 to book.
For more information, contact [email protected]
Cancellation/Refund Policy
A full refund (less a $25 admin fee) is available if you cancel by
the registration deadline. If Medalta cancels, or if you need to cancel
due to medical reasons, you will receive a full refund. If you need to
cancel after the registration deadline, you will be refunded 50% of the
course fee. For cancellations less than two weeks from the start date of
the course, we will be unable to issue any refund.

























