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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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2002 Studio Artists Exhibition @ Northern Clay Center
Wednesday 17 July @ 10:18:51 |
 by Mary Ann Vincenta
Clay is mysterious. A potter takes a lump of it and lets it speak.
The display room at the Northern Clay Center is filled with a dazzling variety of clay objects, 68 creations by the potters who work in the beehive of studios on the other side of the building. These are the works that satisfied the artist’s aesthetic and didn’t blow up in the kiln. Some are functional, some are non-utilitarian and a few are kind of in between.
Earth tones and rounded edges are what you expect from the material. It is so natural; it’s where we come from and where we’re going.
Muted tans and grays, iron reds, teal blues, rock greens and rice-water whites with primitive and stylized drawings of fish and insects are satisfying and traditional such as those seen in Jude Ryan Reiling’s lovely porcelain “Pitcher with Moths” and “Fish Bowl.” These are the kinds of objects everyone would use in their homes—for breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea parties and dances—if we lived in a completely sensible world where everything we owned was made by hand and meant to last a lifetime.
Using utilitarian-looking porcelain and terra sigillatas, Megan Bergstrom includes plastic, paper and acrylic in an avant-garde, intriguing commentary on economic progress after World War II and the effect that mass production had on American consumers. Her appealing piece, “Untitled,” is like still life performance art.
Another piece called “Untitled” by Kate Bauman is a sculpture that needs a prominent platform in a large room somewhere by itself so it can really be seen. A very large blob of clay has been transformed into two blobs who love each other very much. Their realistic hands hold each others’ heads. Remarkable tenderness emanates from a cold piece of stoneware. It has retained its heat long after emerging from the oven.
Two unusual compositions by Matthew Pogatshnik, “Bozo Deluxe Prototype 23.8” and “Venturinator Model B,” express a special glee in making things out of clay that look like metal, kind of like making paintings that look like photos.
Many different kinds of clay are used to make pottery. Minnesota clay is generally not used for functional items because clay from the land of ten thousand lakes has to be fired at lower temperatures and pieces fired at lower temperatures don’t stand up to the demands of daily use; they work better as non-utilitarian sculptures.
Before you leave you have to see the sales gallery where ceramicists from all over the country show their wares. Artists have employed techniques such as the ancient Japanese raku process, a firing method that produces vivid colors, and majolica, an Italian double firing method that yields a distinctive gloss and palette. It’s a great place to buy gifts for friends and relatives who might enjoy a one-of-a-kind useful vessel, like a platter or a pitcher, or a completely unique, “useless” item to put on a special pedestal for contemplation and admiration, like a vase, a monolith or a figurine.
The Studio Artist Exhibition runs until July 27. Northern Clay Center, 2424 Franklin Ave. E., Gallery hours are MTWFS: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Thu: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. 612-339-8007.
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