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
The 2020 Collectors Choice XX fundraising event took place on November 7, 2020 from the galleries of the St Louis Artists’ Guild at 12 Jackson Avenue, Clayton, MO. This is a popular yearly event where artists donate artworks to the fundraiser; the ticket holders at the event get to choose one artwork to take home but only when their ticket number comes up in a lottery-like drawing. Because of the COVID restrictions this year this fundraiser was live streamed on Youtube, but it was still an exciting experience. I missed the great food, and the conversation with the other attendees. For next year, I believe we all hope that the in-person Collectors Choice will return. Because the pieces were on view for a few weeks prior to the event, I classify this as an exhibit.
The Call for Entry
The call for entry had just an explanation what the Collectors Choice fundraiser is about. The donated pieces went through an evaluation process before being accepted into the fundraiser.
The Ceramic Art Pieces
There were over a hundred art works at this fundraiser; I’m reporting only on the ceramic art items.
Her statement reads as follows. Humanity consists of billions of individuals each with unique combinations of characteristics, personalities, talents, virtues, motivations, spiritualties, anxieties, and fears. Added to these innate qualities are particular familial, educational, and cultural influences and experiences. As each person’s life progresses, these factors combine creating his/her unique life story. It is the individual and his/her story that intrigues and fascinates me, providing inspiration for my work. I may start working with a notion of context for a sculpture. However, I am more interested in the observer’s interpretation, because it is based on his/her unique perceptions and experiences. The intersection of our individuality as viewer and artist yields a collaborative and exclusive story for each piece. My figures are sculpted in clay with an emphasis on gesture and texture. One of the alluring ideas of working with the human form is the impact that gesture has on a viewer’s perception. The slightest tilt of the head, drop of the shoulder, angle of the hand, or tilt of a hip may create different implications for different observers. Finding new and different methods to create texture is another exciting part of sculpting for me. Surface variation and texture are expressive avenues for depicting the layers of complexity inherent in every person and provide an additional means for the viewer to add context. For more of her works visit her web site.
His statement reads as follows. My work stems from a singular, strong and clear desire to create aesthetically pleasing physical realities – to transform light and space and materials into a visual dialogue with people so they become more aware of their surroundings. Art is an act of an individual to say something new, so the mind’s eye focuses on the physical as well as the psychological aspects of life as it was, is and will be. I express myself through illuminations, figurative sculpture and paintings. My “outsider art” uses a variety of media, including glass, ceramic, light, metal, prints, oil and acrylic. For more of his works visit his web site.
His statement reads as follows. From my childhood sculptures rendered in play dough, to the raw and hopefully charming sculptures of figures and animals I make today I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t making something. My childhood memories have also shaped the way I render each of my sculptures, basing the grinning dogs and crooked people on how I remember seeing them in my youth. My work is also meant for preservation. Looking back on small, ridiculous moments I hope to preserve these pieces of time in each work. I want my work to be honest, humorous, and visually appealing by experimenting with color and surface. For more of his works visit his web site.
His statement read as follows.
Nearly a quarter of all violence committed against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community involves physical or sexual violence. Currently my work in the mediums of printmaking, installation, and drawing, explore themes of brutality while raising awareness of the rising statistics of violence against the LGBTQ community by providing information to inspire people to enact positive change. Straddling the line between figuration and abstraction, my work focuses on an individual’s experience after or during specific hate crimes. Through my practice, expressive mark making and the idea of the multiple give an identity to these victims. While these acts of violence last a lifetime for the victims, the public’s perception of these acts are brief. Often these crimes are not even reported by individuals due to fear of being outed publicly. Printmaking’s history of dissemination and political activism serves as a platform for the LGBTQ community. My goal is to create a dialogue, and raise awareness on these rising statistics, to allow for change in current legislature and the reevaluation of the reporting procedures within institutions on hate crimes. For more of his works visit his web site.