This is a virtual tour of a show that I am currently in: Being to Being: Collective Conversations in Clay at Park West Ceramics Gallery in Chicago. The concept for the show is very unsual (remember, I like unconventional things…).
Here’s the idea: There are 5 artists, all with different styles of making and decorating. Each artist made 5 pieces. One of the pieces is made start to finish by that original artist. The other 4 pieces are handed off in the leather hard stage to the other 4 artists. Each participant decorates the 4 pieces from the other artists. Carving and cutting, slips and glazes, adding clay pre- and post firing, atmospheric firings and decals were some of the techniques used.
The photos in this post were taken on opening night and aren’t actually the best images. Sometime in the next couple of weeks I’ll add better images, but I was too excited about this show to wait for those images. But for now, you can get an idea of what the show is all about…
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Platter by
Emily Murphy. Soda fired with a crackle slip and sprayed glazes.
top left: Slipped wood fired with low fire decals by
Gina Hutchings.
top right: Cut, carved, slipped, glazed and wood fired by
Jay Strommen.
bottom left: Slipped, glazed, punctured, reduction fired, then sewn by
Joanna Kramer.
bottom right: Cut, then applied stoneware “staples” and porcelain coil then soda fired by
Shane Grimes.
The next series are porcelain hand built slab “landscape” vases by
Joanna Kramer.
Below is her solo piece that is actually two porcelain vases that are sewn together (post firing, of course!).
top left: Glazed and wood fired with low fire decals applied by
Gina Hutchings.
top right: Slipped, glazed, cut and carved then wood fired by
Jay Strommen.
bottom left: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by
Emily Murphy.
bottom right: Slipped and carved with stoneware staples and porcelain coils attached and then soda fired by
Shane Grimes.
Jay Strommen‘s pieces are thrown and altered with slips and lightly glazed then wood fired.
top left: Slipped, glazed, wood fired with decals by
Gina Hutchings.
top right: Slipped, punctured, glazed and reduction fired then sewn by
Joanna Kramer.
bottom left: Lots of stoneware staples and porcelain coils added, then soda fired by
Shane Grimes.
bottom right: Slipped, carved, glazed and then soda fired by
Emily Murphy.
The next group is from
Shane Grimes. Shane’s pieces are thrown and altered. His solo piece has his trademark stoneware staples and incredibly thin porcelain spines/coils attached, then soda fired.
top left: Cut, carved, slipped, glazed and wood fired by
Jay Strommen.
top right: Soda fired then a decal applied by
Gina Hutchings (it’s a very cool spider).
bottom left: Slipped, cut, punctured, glazed and reduction fired by
Joanna Kramer, then sewn.
bottom right: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by
Emily Murphy.
The Geisha series is by
Gina Hutchings who is also the organizer of the show.
Her piece below is glaze and wood fired with a decal applied.
top left: Stoneware staples and porcelain coils attached then soda fired by
Shane Grimes.
top right: Slipped, punctured, glazed, reduction fired then sewn by
Joanna Kramer.
bottom left: Slipped, carved, glazed and wood fired by
Jay Strommen.
bottom right: Slipped, glazed and soda fired by
Emily Murphy.
The next group of photos are some close up detail images. Because of the lighting in the gallery, it was hard to get really good photos on opening night. I hope these detail images help you fill in the gaps. (click on images to make them bigger)
