Join us for a cup of tea Wednesday April 6th 11:00 am to 2:00 pm!

Enjoy a cup of tea in the ARTcetera Gallery in celebration of our successful show Teapots: An Invitational.  Tea will be served Wednesday April 6th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. 

Teapots: An Invitational - Robert Archambeau Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Robert W. Archambeau Tea Kettle $700
stoneware, soda fired (8" x 8" x 6")

Statement:
My aim is not the decorative or didactic or clay as visual entertainment, it is not political.  Instead, I hope my work is, in some measure, a distillation of the magic and mystery that surrounds me on this, my part of the Canadian Pre-Cambrian Shield.  It is, at its best, pottery that is serene, rich in detail, detached from the mundane and timeless.  The teapot in this invitational teapot show is made out of stoneware clay.  It has been glazed with a combination of Suzy Lindsey's Yellow Shino glaze under Wayne Higby's Water Blue glaze.  Once removed from the cooled soda firing, the teapot was sandblasted and oiled.

Bio:
Robert Archambeau is a Canadian studio potter from Winnipeg and Bissett, Manitoba.  He received his MFA from Alfred University and taught at RISD (4 years) and the University of Manitoba (23 years), retiring in 1991.  Robert is the recipient of the Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts and a Manitoba Arts Council Senior Grant.  His pottery is represented by AKAR Gallery (Iowa City, Iowa), David Kaye Gallery (Toronto, Ontario) and Jonathon Bancroft Snell Gallery (London, Ontario).

Teapots: An Invitational - David Bolton Grayslake, IL

David Bolton Entrapped Ewer with Paisleys $600
wood-fired porcelain (8" x 8" x 8")

Statement:

My forms are made with the clay process and other forming processes in mind.  Often the intent is to give a feeling of other mediums with the appearance of overlapped material visually reinforced with patterns, giving a non-clay reference to the forming process and surface decoration while staying true to the functional form.

Bio:

David Bolton is the Head of Ceramics at the College of Lake County Grayslake, IL.

Website: http://web.me.com/dwbqmp/ceramics/

Teapots: An Invitational - Ben Bates Libertyville, IL

Ben Bates Teapot $175
soda fired porcelain (8" x 8" x 7")

Statement:

I am interested in the functional format as a realm of exploration, but I strive for my pieces to transcend their utilitarian boundaries and function as sculptural elements.  I use the ideals of the vessel to clarify design and explore form as it relates to space.  To me working in clay is more about composition, proportion and surface than it is about efficiency of use.

The dualities of this medium continually fascinate me.  In my process I play with the plasticity of the material and its ability to capture spontaneous movement in form and surface.  I then contrast it by introducing hard edges and lines that interrupt and accentuate the flow of that softness.  I also want to skin of my pieces to heighten the viewer's awareness of the interior volume and function as a canvas for color and decoration. 

My hope is to make pieces that are able to communicate feelings and ideas without recalling specific objects.  I intend for these compositions to be mysterious and open-ended enough to evoke multiple interpretations.

Bio:

Ben Bates, a resident of Libertyville, IL, was born and raised in Southern California, earned his BFA at Kansas City Art Institute (1995) and his MFA at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (2000).  After graduate school Ben established himself as the head Resident Ceramic Artist at Crabtree Farm - a living museum in Lake Bluff Illinois (1998 - 2003).  He was also the Lead Consultant for the construction of the Sterling Hall Ceramics Center (1999-2001) and Art Department Chair at Woodlands Academy (2003 - 2005) both in Lake Forest, IL.  His work has been featured in Feats of Clay, NCECA Clay National, Strictly Functional, 30 x 5 Akar Gallery, History in the Making II and III, Lilllstreet International, American Studio Ceramics, George Ohr Challenge, Platters and Pourers, Linearity and a solo show Featured Artist at AKAR gallery.  Ben was Personal Studio Assistant to Ken Ferguson (1993 - 1995) and to Ruth Duckworth (2004).  He is currently a Ceramics Studio Artist, Ceramics Instructor and Ceramics Studio Technician at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL.

Teapots: An Invitational - Sam Chung Tempe, AZ

Sam Chung Teapot $650
porcelain, glaze, China paint (6.5" x 8.5" x 5)

Statement:
A consistent point of departure for my work has been the ceramic vessel and grappling with the balance between form and function.  I am interested in the way that pots have the unique ability to serve a multitude of roles and functions.  They can be decorative, they can create nostalgia, they can reference history or places, they can bring attention to more tactile or ergonomic concerns, and of course, they can be used.  I am also interested in the accessibility and familiarity of the pottery format with regard to my audience, and how the perception of pots can be exploited in the context of the domestic landscape.

My most recent work explores more graphic line drawings that are inspired by various forms of script - Islamic calligraphy, graffiti, and Korean cloud motifs.  While these references originate from different cultures, my attraction to this imagery is more formal.  There is something lyrical about these marks that I find curiously similar to the way I conceive, originate, and develop my forms, much of which occurs through the act of drawing.  I am intrigued by the way that drawing can be re-introduced at the end of my process to create another voice in the conversation between form and function.

Bio:

Sam Chung received his MFA from Arizona State University and his BA from St. Olaf College.  he has participated in residencies at Anderson Ranch Arts Center, The Pottery Workshop (China) and Guldagergaard (Denmark).  Sam has exhibited, lectured, and presented workshops both nationally and internationally.  His works are included in the collections of the Crocker Art Museum, Guldagergaard, and Incheon World Ceramic Center (Korea).  he taught at Northern Michigan University in Marquette for 9 1/2 years and is now an assistant professor of ceramics at Arizona State University in Tempe.

 Website: http://www.samchungceramics.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Charity Davis-Woodard Edwardsville, IL

Charity Davis-Woodard Untitled $230
soda fired porcelain, slip, multiple glazes (7" x 9.5" x 6)

Statement:
The teapot is one of the most challenging and satisfying forms to make.  As a functional potter I want the pot to serve its purpose well at the same time that it brings visual interest and pleasure to the user.  Bearing in mind the satisfaction of pausing to pour a cup of tea from a well-balanced, free-flowing, drip and dribble-free teapot I pay attention to the design issues that contribute to this end.  Once those parameters have been established they move to the periphery while I lose myself in the more personal and engaging decisions about form and surface.  In the end I hope for the finished piece that will add pleasure to someone's life whether in the activity of making and drinking tea or from a momentary glance now and then in its direction.

Bio:
Charity Davis-Woodard moved to Illinois in 1994 to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  As a full-time studio potter for the past 10 years her focus has been limited-production and one-of-a kind porcelain wood-fired pottery.  Charity has taught ceramics workshops for universities and other learning centers such as Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Wichita Center for the Arts, and Appalachian Center for Crafts, and her work is widely exhibited in galleries and invitational exhibitions.  With numerous awards to her credit such as the NCECA Clay National, Clayfest 2003, and the Utilitarian Ceramics National, Charity's work can be found in professional publications, private and public collections, and cupholders nationwide.

Website: http://charitydaviswoodard.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Mariko A. Brown Gurnee, IL

Mariko A. Brown Green Teapot NFS
wheel thrown, Cone 6, underglaze inlay, glazes (8.5" x 11.5" 7")

Statement:
My fascination with pottery comes from my desire to make art and to produce something that is mot only functional but visually appealing.  Porcelain allows me stretch and shape the clay in any way I chose and offers a blank canvas for my floral imagery and luscious glazes to blend.  The forms I create are tight and precise with a sense of restricted volume.  I use bands around the form to constrict specific areas of each piece, while at the same time creating space for the volume and fullness to escape.  The bands create registers to frame my drawings and paintings of floral imagery.  Blossoms, leaves and flourishes move around my pots in colors of green and blue.

The way I combine surface and form is inspire by Ming Dynasty porcelain wares and Iznik ceramics.  I am drawn to the all-encompassing motifs depicted on these wares and to the compositions created by their colors and patterns, similar to those seen in Middle Eastern textiles.  I also look to nature, especially the textures and contours of leaves and flowers, for inspiration.  I use color combinations and floral imagery as a reminder of the beauty that nature has to offer.

My aim is that my pots will be used for eating, drinking and service.  I believe that my art should be able to make a connection between the viewer and creator, even if only for a moment.  I intend to create this relationship through the experience of beauty, design, tactility and comfort.

Bio:
Mariko A. Brown is a recent graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute where she received her BFA in ceramics.  Mariko's continued fascination with creating pottery comes from her desire to create objects that are not only functional but visually appealing.  She is currently living in Northeastern Illinois where she is continuing to make work and maintain her studio practice.

Teapots: An Invitational - Kevin Foy Glenview, IL

Kevin Foy Gold and Black Teapot $300
stoneware (11.5" x 9" x 5")

Statement:
I start by making various forms and manipulating them in different ways.  This exercise allows me to explore various shapes and lines and find a composition that sparks my interest.  I playfully build a body of work and then study the pieces to try and understand what is happening.  My concept evolves out of this study.

Much of my recent work reflects the voluptuous curves of the human body.  I try to capture the tension between the soft bulging form and the lines and angles impressed in the vessels.  Here I explore the relationship between the form and how straight lines and angles manipulate the form.  This tension references how the skin of the human body reacts to movement of joints and muscles.  I use the repetition of line to form pattern that relates to the movement of the surface and helps balance the vessel.  Adding additional elements of the human form to the vessels, such as finger-like appendages, develops a more comfortable relationship between the vessel and the user.  I make functional vessels because the idea of someone actually using the pot completes the process for me.  I take great pleasure in using my hands to create, form and fire the material so that it will be put into service and enjoyed by someone.  When I look at my work, I learn more and more about the person making the vessels.

Bio:
Kevin started working with clay at Oakton Community College and he earned a BA in studio art concentrated in ceramics at Northeastern Illinois University in 1997.  He received his MFA in ceramics from Northern Illinois University in 2010.  Kevin has taught ceramics classes at Lill Street Art Center, Terra Incognito, College of Lake County, Evanston Art Center, Fine Line Art Center and Northeastern Illinois University.  His current body of work is wheel thrown altered vessels.  Kevin uses a white stoneware clay body and generally uses high fire reduction glazes.  He has also shown work nationally in juried exhibitions and is currently ceramics studio coordinator at Evanston Art Center.

Website: http://kevinmfoy.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Peter Hessemer Lake Forest, IL

Peter Hessemer Teapot NFS
slip glaze, stained overglaze and red luster, Cone 6

Statement:
I only occasionally make teapots or explicitly functional objects.  However we know a teapot is also a form like a rectangular canvas, or a building that can also be almost anything.  Ben was kind enough to let me select any teapot I wished to exhibit.  I made this one 25 years ago, 1986 and have valued it for the dynamic form and pattern.  At the time I was firing to cone 6 in an electric kiln.  The electric firing provided none of the "sudden beauty" inherent from high fire reduction.  I felt particularly responsible for creating the surface unaided by the firing.  Materials used include slip, glaze, stained overglaze, and red luster. I have a predilection for pieces that are dynamic, directly formed, and unfussy, whether they are refined or rough.

Enjoy,
Peter Hessemer

Website: http://www.chicagoclayartist.com/



Teapots: Nick Joerling Penland, NC



Nick Joerling Teapot $175
wheel thrown/altered, high temperature stoneware
(7.5" x 4" x 5.5")



Statement:

My dictionary says a teapot is "a covered pot with a spout."  I smile at the judiciousness of that definition, like characterizing a human being as an upright body with a face.  Buried in both succinct summations is the rich unending variety of mechanics, spirit, aesthetics, emotion, intellect.

I like the blue-collar aspect of pots, that they do the everyday work of carrying, containing, delivering, but can also "step out" and stimulate the mind and imagination.  I like the pots that make good use of the constraints of utility, and I like the pots that push against those boundaries: pots that entertain some dicey possibilities.  In my own studio I hope for pots that have qualities of sensuality, empathy, humor and risk.

Website: http://penlandpottery.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Warren MacKenzie Stillwater, MN

Warren MacKenzie Teapot $150
stoneware, Shaner clear glaze over white crackle slip
with bamboo handle (8.5" x 7" x 6")

Statement:

Working with clay gives me the permission to be myself in a culture regulated by uniformity.  It becomes my Declaration of Independence against the assembly line and the factory-produced, and it seeks to bring the world a response to these static indoctrinations.

 

Pottery brings me joy when I explore it with my senses; I love running my fingertips over the marks a potter made when creating a vessel.  I learn a significant amount by simply touching a pot.  My pottery is meant to be touched, held and used. 

It offers a harmony of simplicity and warm intimacy.  I try to make pots that are friendly, that beckon people to pick them up and experience their character.  Earlier styles I meddled in began with machined perfectionism and moved swiftly away to off-kilter wonkiness. 

Presently, I am at the in-between, finding beauty in the subtle and simple.  I liken my pots to people and aim for honest personality in every piece.  My pots are made of a high-fired stoneware or porcelain clay body.  I have chosen these clay bodies for their wheel throwing properties and coloring, as ell as their glazing and firing personalities.  I fire my pots in a high-temperature reduction atmosphere; this produces both desirable depth in the glaze and structural integrity in the finished work.

Bio:

Warren was born in Kansas City, MO in 1924.  He studied art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  He apprenticed, along with his wife, Alix, with Bernard Leach in England for two years, 1950-52.  Warren began his long a illustrious teaching career at the University of Minnesota in 1953, retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1990.  He has been a studio potter at his rural Stillwater, Minnesota home and studio since 1953.  Numerous awards, including Honorary Fellow of both the American Crafts Council and NCECA, Minnesota Governor's Award, Gold Medal from the American Crafts Council and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Crafts Council.  Warren MacKenzie is regarded as a true master of 20th Century ceramic art, as one of America's greatest living potters and continues to be an inspiration to thousands of clay artists, collectors and ceramic aficionados.

Teapots: An Invitational - Lorna Meaden Durango, CO



Lorna Meaden Teaset $255
soda fired porcelain (8.5" x 7" x 6")


Statement:
I am interested in having my work display both practical and extravagant attributes.  I am drawn to work that is rich in ornamentation, with lavish use of materials - both scarce in a culture of mass production.

Bio:
Lorna grew up in the western suburb of Chicago, La Grange.  After receiving a BA from Fort Lewis College in 1994, She established a studio in Durango, Colorado.  She worked as a studio potter for the next eight years.  She received an MFA in ceramics from Ohio University 2005.  She has recently been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana, and at Anderson Ranch Arts Canter in Snowmass Village, Colorado.  She is currently a studio potter in Durango, Colorado.

Website: http://www.lornameaden.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Ron Meyers Athens, GA

Ron Meyers Teapot $250
earthenware (7.5" x 8" x 6.5")

Statement:
Working with red earthenware, Ron's functional pots are made in a casual and spontaneous manner reflecting the juiciness of the material as well as the pleasure of the process.  His narrative, colored slip paintings that float on the surface in a gestural expressionistic style can be both provocative and confrontational.

Bio:
Ron Meyers holds a 1967 MFA degree in ceramics from the School of American Craftsmen, Rochester Institute of Technology, a BS (1956) and MS (1961) degrees in art education from State University of New York College at Buffalo.  He taught at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC from 1967-1972.  He then spent the next 20 years teaching at the University of Georgia in Athens where he retired as Professor Emeritus.

Ron has an extensive history of professional activities within the ceramics community and his work is shown both nationally and internationally.

Teapots: An Invitational - Gertrude Graham Smith Bakersville, NC

Gertrude Graham Smith Fluted Teapot $175
porcelain clay (7" x 9" x 6")

Statement:

The movement and soft responsive feel of porcelain clay thrown on a potter's wheel is celebrated in the vessels I make.  My pots are animated by thoughtful and spontaneous manipulation of their forms, surfaces, and attachments.  Handles sweep up and out from bellies and shoulders.  Jars raised on feet dance in space.  Scale and surfaces appeal to the human hand.  In the kiln, flames filled with sodium decorate anticipated edges. I'm looking for my vessels to bring joy with their use and presence, to be good companions for daily living.  They will truly come alive when they fond a home with you.  Imbued in these objects with the making are intended qualities; perhaps, when a hand embraces a cup, a heart fills with compassion.

Bio:

Gay Smith, aka Gertrude Graham Smith, is a studio potter and teaching artist.  her porcelain ware is single fired in a soda kiln near Penland, NC.  Recent grant awards include a North Carolina Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship in 2008/9, and an RAPG in 2009/10.  She held artist-in-residencies at the Archie Bray Foundation and at Penland School.  Teaching credits include workshops at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, Penland School, the Harvard Ceramics Studio, and the Findhorn Foundation in Northern Scotland.  her work is represented internationally, is in collections including the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC and Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan, was featured on the cover of Ceramics Monthly, and can be view in publications including Making Marks and Functional Pottery by Robin Hopper and Working with Clay by Susan Peterson.

Website: www.gertrudegrahamsmith.com

Teapots: An Invitational - Tom Turner Mars Hill, NC

Tom Turner Spouted Vessel with three hand cups $600
wheel thrown porcelain paddled, stamped, multiple Oilspot glazes
(7.75" x 11" x  8")

Bio:
Tom received his undergraduate degree in Art from Illinois State University in 1968. He taught crafts while in the Army and then was asked to establish a ceramic art program for the College of Architecture at Clemson University.  He did so in 1971 and taught there until 1976 when he resigned to work full time in his studio.  He received his MFA at Clemson in 1973, moved to Florida in 1979, moved to 1982 to Medina, Ohio, moved to Delaware, Ohio in 1986 and moved to Mars Hill, North Carolina in 2005.

He has worked with high fired porcelain for over 35 years.

Tom has taught at the leading craft schools in the country such as Penland, Arrowmont, The Archie Bray Foundation and has conducted over 125 workshops throughout the United States and has been a visiting artist at Illinois State University and The Ohio State University.

Major shows include Young Americans 1969; The Marietta Crafts National 1974, 1977, 1981; The 33rd Scripps College Invitational; Functional Ceramics at Wooster, Ohio 1978, 1981, 1983; 35 Artists of the Southeast, New Directions: Fiber and Clay; 20 American Potter, which toured the world and became collections of American Embassies; The Emergence of a New Tradition: American Porcelain, at The Hand and Spirit Gallery; and American Porcelain: New Expressions in an Ancient Art, shown at the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution which later tours the United States and the world. He has also exhibited in over 150 invitationals and over 50 juried shows.

His work has appeared in Craft Horizons, American Craft, Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, The Washingtonian, House Beautiful, Southern Living, Ceramica - Madrid, Spain, Ceramic Review -London, England and numerous books.

Website: http://www.tomturnerporcelain.com/

Teapots: An Invitational - Tara Wilson Montana City, MT

Tara Wilson Teapot $160
wood-fired stoneware (7" x 9" x 4.5")

Statement:
Quiet pots initially speak softly yet reveal complexity in both form and surface through continued investigation and use.  Embodied in my wood fired vessels is the serenity that I experience by surrounding myself on a daily bases with a rich natural environment.

The rich surfaces of the vessels represent the natural world.  nature also inspires form, in some cases quite literally, as river rocks become saucers.  Other pieces speak of this passion more subtly.  Bases reference the landscape, evoking a sense of space and awareness of the land.  Parallels can be drawn between geological processes and the atmospheric firing process.  Pots physically capture and record their firing process similar to the way sedimentary and metamorphic rock speak of their history.

Pottery's inherent relationship to the figure is accentuated in my gestural forms.  The dialog between the forms changes as the pieces are used.  The simple things in life are often the most important.  My pots speak of my passions, while at the same time allowing the user to recognize the important things in their own lives.

Bio:
Tara Wilson is a studio potter living in Montana City, Montana.  Wilson received a BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and an MFA degree from the University of Florida.  She has been a resident artist at The Archie Bray Foundation and The Red Lodge Clay Center.  Wilson was selected as an emerging artist for the 2006 NCECA conference and was a presenter at the 2006 International Woodfire Conference in Flagstaff.  She has given lectures and workshops throughout the United States; and her work has been exhibited internationally.

Website: http://tarawilsonpottery.com

Teapots: An Invitational - Matt Wilt Edwardsville, IL

Matt Wilt Server $1200
stoneware, concrete, steel (12.5" x 14" x 11")

Statement:
In recent years my work has become less vessel-oriented, though research into historical ceramics has continued to feed my ideas.  Often my forms will seem to suggest a specific function or use, but the use is ambiguous; a hybrid on the known worked with a less concrete reality.  This newer work also draws from a catalogue of forms that are suggestive in nature.  In Philip Rawson's book Ceramics, he refers to memory traces, and the power of forms to evoke thoughts and memories.  This is similar to the way we associate colors with emotional states or meanings.  By incorporating forms that are symbolic and suggestive, I attempt to engage the viewer in a process of decoding.

Bio:
Matt Wilt is currently Associate Professor of Art at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.  He received his Bachelor's degree in Ceramics and Art Education at Pennsylvania State University and his Master of Fine Arts degree at Ohio University, Athens.  Wilt worked for two years at Boston Valley Terra Cotta, an architectural terra cotta restoration firm in Buffalo, New York, where he began to work more extensively with plaster molds and imitative glaze surfaces.  He also traveled extensively in Nepal and Thailand prior to pursuing graduate study.

Wilt has been the recipient of numerous awards.  He has received two Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grants, an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, as well as the Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship through The Clay Studio in Philadelphia.  he has been active s a Visiting Artist at schools such as Syracuse University, Tyler School of Art, Indiana University and Herron School of Art.

Teapots: An Invitational - Russell Wrankle Toquerville, UT

Russell Wrankle Teapot $195
soda fired porcelain (6" x 7" x 5")

Statement:
My cupboards are full of pottery made by other artists and with repeated use, the ones that have attained the subtle and indefinable quality of a good handmade pot migrate to the front and the others seem to languish in the back.  I want to pottery that I make to be the ones that are reached for and as they gather coffee stains, chips and cracks that come with frequent use, they become more valued by the user.  When not in use, I want my pottery to continue to improve the aesthetic life of the user in a quiet and subtle way through its visual strengths and integrity.  Some days in the studio are filled with struggle and anxiety, nothing seems to work, on other days my efforts are rewarded with what will hopefully be the pot that captures that essence that we all know but find difficulty in defining.  After 20 years of pottery making, every effort is made to put my mind and body in such a place so that my time in the studio is filled with the pleasure of work, and that there's an increased possibility of producing pots that migrate to the front of the cupboard.

Bio:
I have lived in Toquerville, Utah since 2001.  In that time I have established a studio and loyal customer base.  My wife, Lori and I enjoy living in a rural environment and raising our children in a natural, healthy setting.  My studio is a barn on the back of my property which has been converted to a working space.  Most of my days are spent toiling away in the studio with occasional visits and critiques from my kids.

Website: www.toquervilleclay.com