July 9 – September 18, 2016 | Art League Gallery

Reception: September 2, 2016 | 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.

For over 25,000 years, the human figure has been represented in
ceramics. It is an inherently vital form and ideally suited for directly
expressing the human condition. It is also what lies at the
intersection of the work of artists Tom Bartel (Athens, OH) and Zach Tate
(Goshen, IN). Whether exploring the various stages of life or
subverting those in power, the figures they create ask us all to reflect
on life’s certainties.

Our new Constitution is now
established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this
world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.
— Benjamin Franklin, in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, 1789

 
 Tom Bartel (b. 1969, Cleveland, OH) is known for his
fragmented figures that take cues from a “shotgun blast” of influences
ranging from antiquity to current popular culture. He received his
M.F.A. from Indiana University-Bloomington. He has lectured, conducted
workshops and exhibited extensively throughout the United States and
internationally. His work is included in numerous public and private
collections, and has numerous publications to his credit, including
American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, Ceramics Art and
Perception as well as many other periodicals and books. Bartel is
currently the Ceramics Area Chairperson and is an Associate Professor at
Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
tombartel.net
 

Zach Tate (b. 1985, Springfield, MO) is a figurative
sculptor and works at the University of Notre Dame as a visiting
lecturer for the Ceramics Department and as the executive director of
Goshen Youth Arts (a non-profit organization in Goshen, IN). He moved to
northern Indiana in 2013 after finishing his M.F.A. from Texas Tech
University. His work has been exhibited internationally, nationally and
regionally. Along with exhibiting his work, he has been a visiting
artist at several Universities and art centers around the world and
works as an author for several ceramics publications. His writings cover
experiences he has had organizing events, travelogues and exhibition
reviews.

www.zachtateceramics.com

www.southbendart.org/see/zach-tate-tom-bartel-death-taxes