Photos and reporting by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA.  If you enjoyed this post, then like the post, and also like my Facebook page.    Check out Beachfront Pottery posts on Instagram @beachfrontpottery.    There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.

The Venue

 

These ceramic pieces were on exhibit in May of 2021 at the Duane Reed Gallery, 4729 McPherson Road, St Louis, Missouri.

 

 

 

 

The Call for Entry

There was no call for entry, because these artists were invited to show their pieces.

The Ceramic Art Pieces

The stacked spindle shapes (10 to 24 inches tall) are by themselves provide a unique visual, and then all the details from the transferred photos just add to the overall appearance.

 

 

From a cfile report: “Peter Olson has for the last six years harmonized photography and ceramics, two mediums that have forced their way into fine art. As bands of imagery spin around the thrown and assembled ceramic garnitures, there is a feeling that time is passing, history is revealing itself, a story is being told. There is mystery as the story itself is unclear. This triptych has his spindle form, the kind of shapes made on the lathe for centuries and which became the inspiration in 1880’s for Theodoor Colenbrander’s visionary lidded jars in Holland with surface painting that anticipated Modernism. Olson is a trained professional photographer but when making art moonlights as a street photographer, informed by daily life and cultural and religious objects. He is the fields most inventive and inspired master of fired decals (a 17th century innovation) infusing them with the passion for his subjects and magical, kinetic banding.”   For more of his works visit his web site.

 

His artists statement in part reads: “I have experienced being an outsider in the country of my heritage to being one of a minority of Asians in Montana. My work allows me to re-interpret and confront questions of place and belonging. Having begun my artistic career learning Asian pottery techniques in a Western education system, I am also continually investigating the sources and ownership of cultural influence. The objects I create collect elements of form, decoration, color and material from various cultures while questioning failure, expectation and intent. They offer a collision of influences from various origins–Chinese, Korean, French, Dutch, English, Minoan, etc. reflecting my passion for historical ceramics and insights on the past. Ceramic production has long been influenced by an industrial standard of perfection and I commit myself to the integrity and craftsmanship of form and decoration in each piece. Deconstructing and imploding the forms creates a visceral reaction that defies the human desire for perfection and confronts the perception of value. It is in this act that I hope to challenge and redefine what is beautiful.”  For more of his works visit his web site.

Her art is described on the Sokyo Lisbon web site: “Her body of work is recognizable through her organic forms and expert use of Namako glazing as well as the interweaving of metal such as silver. Moriʼs pieces are hand-built and filled with pleats which render the artwork a dynamic and organic energy. During the creation process, Mori looks for the various expressions within the clay: the wet surface, the air trapped within, the subtle lines that unexpectedly appear, the warping that results from gravity and the natural vitality of the clay.” For more of her work visit her Instagram profile.

I liked her sculpture, because it is something that could be a living creature.

 

 

His artist statement reads: “I utilize the action figure form in my sculptural work to explore personal issues and struggles with social anxiety. As an adult, I face difficulties in the social environment. Meeting new people, being in the company of strangers, crowds, peers and intermittently among friends and family brings about a heightened nervousness that takes over and impedes my ability to function socially. Even as a child I was reserved and apprehensive, so I turned to toys to keep me entertained. I believe the tactile activity of playing with them coupled with my active imagination helped establish this passion for the action figure early on. There was something about picking up your favorite hero or villain and creating stories and adventures that captivated me. It felt only natural to tap into this childlike sense of exploration and storytelling through my artwork.”     For more of his works visit his web site.