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This morning I woke up and prepared myself for something that I like to think of as my closest call with rockstardom. I was being interviewed on CFCR, our local independent radio, on a show called The A Word, which is produced by artist/critic/academic Bart Gazzola. So much fun to head out to the radio station with all the butterflies in my stomach and attempts at sounding intelligent floating around in my mind. It’s always so difficult to sum up your work in to quick snippets, one liners. Especially when it’s a body of work you’ve been developing for 6 years. Well I did my best to try to do a bit of justice to the exhibition and hopefully more people will go check it out in person.
If you’ve got some time please grab a beer or a cup of coffee and have a listen.
nice wood stack for the kiln
It’s been quiet around here for a few days I realize. Forgive me I took a break and went out to recharge my batteries. Not the computer ones, but the ones for my soul.
Matt taking a technology break
Peter attaching handles
The last few days I had the amazing opportunity to attend a workshop with Matt Long, Peter M. Brondz, and Robin Dupont. Organized by the most generous of potters, Martin Tagseth, the last few days consisted of a small intimate group of us taking over Martin’s studio and sharing studio tales, experiences and knowledge.
Some of Matt’s thrown cups
Robin altering a beer tumbler
For me it was a reminder that I’ve been in the studio alot lately, nose to the grindstone. I should have let up and had a break after my show went up at the Mendel, but instead I’ve gone straight into production for 4 upcoming market sales. Perspective was offered up to me this weekend. A reminder to live in the moment; the wealth and value of a life lived following your heart; and the necessity of amazing friends that understand you on a variety of levels. Old friendships were re-established, new ones formed, debates and conversations around the kiln fire offering the usual late night insight that one misses when alone in their isolated studio.
Robin and Matt finishing up some gorgeous teapots
My desire to one day return to throwing (someday….fingers crossed) was definitely re-kindled by the immensely talented artists, inspiration and insight into how others forge the path of a life in clay gave new perspectives and faith in my personal choices. And a late evening walk in the surrounding prairies invigorated my love of this land where I was born and raised.
sunset over the farm yard.
I’ve returned to the city, a little changed, a lot the same, in need of a good sleep, but most importantly immensely thankful to everyone that made this weekend happen.
Cheers to Martin, Mark, Peter, Robin and everyone!
A special treat for me was to see a cup of mine that i’d traded with Martin was getting some good use. Always nice. Want to contribute to a good cause promoting the dissemination of Canadian Ceramic Art?
Please visit the link here to see how you can get involved with helping The Matter of Clay III Catalogue come to life.For more details and background please read the following written by Jonathon:The Jonathon Bancroft-Snell Gallery has been working hard to promote Canadian ceramic art at a national and international level. In 2001 we had our first major exhibition titled Matter of Clay. It was the largest national ceramic exhibition to take place in over 30 years. It was a great success for the artists who were represented. Matter of Clay II followed in 2006 and this year Matter of Clay III will open August 4th, 2011In 2010 we won the prestigious NICHE award for marketing. This in itself was remarkable as we have never had the funds to launch a major advertising campaign. Instead we have relied on our website www.jonathons.ca and that most potent advertising vehicle; word of mouth. Promoting Canadian ceramic art is my passion. It also provides me with my living and provides many ceramic artists with a significant portion of their living. Many artists have said that we have sold more of their significant exhibition pieces than any one in their career. Some of those careers span almost sixty years! An important tool needed for collectors interested in Canadian art is documentation. It was for this reason that I sponsored a series of ClaySpots interviews and had them uploaded to YouTube. This year for Matter of Clay III we want to produce a catalogue so that the artists will have documentation of their participation in Matter of Clay III. The catalogue will be a permanent record of the artists who participated and the works they exhibited. It will also provide much needed documentation of artists’ marks; the identifiers that indicate who made the work and often when it was made. The result will be a minimum one hundred page catalogue. My goal is to produce a noteworthy document, profusely illustrated that will serve as a legacy and testament to the talented Canadian artists participating in Matter of Clay III. In 2000 I began the gallery with a $7,500 overdraft. The gallery has flourished by staying true to my concept the Axis of Art that is: The respectful understanding of the relationship that is the triad of Creator-Connector-Collector. I realize that that to continue to advocate for clay artists I need some help. That is the reason I am using this forum to reach out in hopes of raising the funds necessary to produce this catalogue. If I was a publicly funded gallery it would not be an issue. The truth is I am not. I need help with this. I have arranged some perks for those who help make this happen. Canada is a large country. I believe that it is important that Canada wide events such as Matter of Clay III happen. It is events such as this that serve as a linchpin to keeping us united. If you want to help and it is not possible to do so monetarily then act as an ambassador for Canadian art and forward this to anyone you feel may be interested in getting the word out. Thank you and please if you are in the neighbourhood; Stop by and visit the gallery. We are located in London Ontario at 258 Dundas Street! Thank you Jonathon
Common/Opposites Apr 30-Jun 19 2011 Les Manning
RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST
THURSDAY, MAY 5, 7 PM
FREE ADMISSION
Common/Opposites presents the most recent works in clay by Les Manning, the internationally recognized ceramist based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. For the past several decades, Manning has elegantly rendered the topographical forms of the Rockies in laminated and shaped clay vessels. In these new sculptures, Manning uses his firm grounding in the land and landscape around us to create ceramic works that vault beyond, into a realm where our recognition of everyday things jostles and collides with metaphor, revealing the rich and contradictory poetry of our ordinary world.
Les Manning is the Senior Artist in Residence at the Shaw International Centre for Contemporary Ceramics in Medicine Hat, Alberta. His work has been shown around the world, most recently in Scotland, the Netherlands, Latvia, the United States, Greece and China, and is held in private, corporate and public collections, including the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Seoul, Korea.
Les Manning was the Director of the Ceramic Studio at the Banff Centre for the Arts for 20 years, and has contributed to ceramics world-wide as a teacher, lecturer, conference and symposium participant and organizer, as well as Vice President of the International Academy of Ceramics, founding member and Vice-President of the Alberta Craft Council and first President of Canadian Craft Council.
ESPLANADE ART GALLERY
www.esplanade.ca
403.502.8580
401 FIRST STREET SE
MEDICINE HAT, AB
T1A 8W2
