Photos and reporting by Robert Kokenyesi, Ceramic Artist, Beachfront Pottery, Godfrey, IL, 62035, USA. If you enjoyed this post, then give me a “like” on my Facebook page. There is additional information about Beachfront Pottery on my web site.
The Venue
Traditionally, the Central Time Ceramics exhibit has been split between the Heuser Art Gallery, and the Hartmann Center Gallery. These two buildings are on the campus of Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
On top is the Hartmann Center with a nice gallery space immediately right to the entry doors.
Below is the Heuser Art Gallery, through those doors and then left.
The Call for Entry
Submissions were open to all ceramic artists over the age of 18 who currently reside in the Central Time Zone. Central Time Zone states include: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin; however not all counties within these states are within the Central Time Zone. Artists who reside in areas of Canada and Mexico that are within the Central Time Zone are also eligible. Artwork submitted must have been completed within the last three years.
The Ceramic Art Pieces
This blog is part 1 of 5. Figurative sculptural pieces are included here. Following blogs will cover abstract sculptures, lidded vessels, unlidded vessels, and bowls/mugs.
Christy’s Facebook page states that she “makes pottery that enriches daily life. Each pot is hand thrown, soda fired porcelain, made with attention to detail, every one as unique as you!” Both the fortune vases and the message vases have printed words on their side, and you can catch a glimpse of the words through the windows carved into the trays. By rotating the vases you can get s different combination of the words.
This Ovidio piece is figurative (in a later blog I’ll mention his abstract piece), and this comes from a sculpture background. At his web site he states that he is “inspired by autobiographical experiences, I use symbolism and metaphor to convey ideas of duality and/or struggle expressed formally through the relationships between inside and out, surface and form, organic and geometric.” For my taste, this piece is more grotesque than beautiful. Of course, your interpretation might be different.
Angela’s works were selected yet again after 2016, and that says a lot about the uniqueness of her work. On her web site Angela states: “Inspired by anatomy, strange experiments, healthcare trends, and medical innovations, my work
explores biology with an emphasis on medicine. Complex and compelling social issues have emerged
from modern medical practices pushing boundaries between human and animal identity, especially in
terms of transplants, animal derivative drugs, and in biologic constructions.”
These two pieces both shows how frogs have been used in cardiological research.
Here is Jess’ statement from his web site: “My works reference the increasing struggles over water rights and are battered reminders
of these problems. I hope that all who see my artwork begin to protect and preserve our most precious resource, water.” The Empty and Full piece shows flood controlling concrete blocks, jackstones, as they are gradually flooded by water. The Jackstone Armature piece was inspired by the mold that was used to make jackstones.
The water intake tower showing low water levels a reminder from Jess Benjamin about drought and the over use of water.
On Mark’s web site there are only porcelain vessels and sculptures, so this stoneware piece may be the beginning of a new direction for him. All pieces are nicely carved ont he surface, and that matches the carved surface of this piece. I couldn’t find any information about the inspiration behind the exhibit piece.