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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The national juried exhibit titled Plate & Platter took place from January 16 through February 22, 2019  Carbondale Community Arts building, Artspace 304.  The exhibit was in collaboration with Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s School of Art and Design Ceramics area.

 

This the starting place with the jurors comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Call for Entry

Open to all artists 18+ living within the United States. Works must measure no more than 20” in any direction or weigh more than 50 lbs and must be ready for display. Work must be 70% ceramic, completed within the last three years, and address the theme of plate and/or platter.

Plate & Platter 2019 will be the first in a biennial national juried exhibition showcasing functional and sculptural ceramic plates and platters with innovative surface, form, function, and/or concept. This inaugural exhibition will be juried by ceramic artist Chandra DeBuse.

The Ceramic Art Pieces

This post has the round, traditionally shaped plates and platters.

 

In an online interview Susan states: “I’m very interested in the japanese concept of wabi sabi. this aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. i’m attracted to awkward lines, bold gestures, primitive marks and secret iconographies. favorite artists in this vein include basquiat, tàpies, twombly, and texas artist howard sherman.”  Check out her web site to get the full effects of her style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In an online interview he states: “Gay culture has a covert past, and I try to illuminate aspects of this history through my work. I’m currently making work to celebrate gay male culture and sexuality through pastiches assembled from Rockwellian sources. My aim is to subvert Rockwell’s heteronormative narratives and depict a queer experience. By altering the figures and scenarios portrayed through Rockwellian memorabilia, I invite the viewer to consider the narratives of gay americana during eras that were at odds with such identified otherness. I feel fortunate to live during a time where I can live an open life out of the closet, but in order to do so I find it important to recognize the past struggles LGBTQ people have endured to get us where we are today.”  Check out his web site for more of his works.

 

 

 

I couldn’t find online info source about Aaron. The plates were made of terra cotta or red clay, and the surface was carved to create the shapes that were glazed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a museum site Pattie states: “I create ceramics and drawings depicting stories culled from childhood tales, four-for-a-dollar comic books, movies-of-the-week and family photo albums. My work is a collage of these influences in combination with historical and imagined elements that reveal my observations about identity and ideologies. The synthesis is personal but the images are given in familiar language: true love, silent contemplations, or broken hearts for example. The stories merge with my own experience into semifictional vignettes.
I am inherently an explainer and a storyteller and through my work I attempt to map my experiences while allowing for an altered perspective. Often what results is a narrative that provides the frustration and the satisfaction of deciphering a difficult puzzle.     Check out her web site for more of her creations.

 

On his web site Wes states: “There is a need to research the influence of tradition in our lives as we come to understand ourselves, and there is a need to attempt understanding the lives of women as a white male. I look to the ideas such as those held in quilt making as an art of salvaging, a domestic practice, and one that is typically taught and passed between generations. Repurposing the valued domestic skills held in my family, through means of fabric and ceramics, I pull from the influences of my past and work through the literal ideas and practices of those who formed my world view. Drawing from past experience, I attempt to connect with the instinctual creativity sometimes dormant in adulthood. My hope is to combat stereotypes, question gender roles, and illicit empathy; to provoke deeper thoughts and more attentive people.”

 

On a gallery site Stuart states: “The use of precision detail is a crucial aspect in the relationship my artwork shares with viewers. While focal points of emphasis control the overall direction it can be less prominent elements that produce the aesthetic jabs that can momentarily stun and stop viewers in their tracks while trying to grasp the minutia of a well-told story.

Using porcelain vessels as graphic clay canvases, my ceramic artwork is a narrative investigation into various folklore and popular culture connections that human civilization has with alcohol and food. The series of artwork uses demographic trends & patterns, satirical tongue-in-cheek humor, social commentary, and human geography to focus on the history and mythology of sustenance as it parallels the advancement of our society. My ceramics also has a connection to the illuminated manuscripts produced during the Roman Empire, only substitute the visual religious crusade with wit-laced cultural references.”

 

 

 

I couldn’t find online info source about Emily, her inspirations, or her technique.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a gallery site he states that he is a: “potter whose artistic process derives from a childhood spent in a profoundly religious family in the Deep South.  The art is characterized by vibrant colors, allusions to art history and pop culture, and an insistent use of new technologies in his work.

“This body of work is inspired by the untimely passing of my brother in 2001.” explained Adams. “We first met when I was 12, and this work is both an exploration of my rumination on our unshared childhood, as well as imaginings of the man he might have been.”

 

 

 

 

On her web site Brianna states: “I am a functional ceramic artist who creates objects with a balance of form and surface, whereby the surface is dependent upon the choices of form. Evidence of handmade construction is a component I enjoy seeing in the finished piece.    I start by throwing a symmetrical cylinder, bowl, or plate on the wheel, then alter the form by pushing from the interior or exterior. While still on the wheel I revisit the same area with an opposing force, creating organic lines that provide visual movement; continuing in this manner until I find lines forming that have movement or I can visualize how trimming may affect the overall shape. The layers build on each other to create a form that I decorate using designs and glazes.
The surface is an important element of my work. I view these different changes in form and surface to different experiences in nature; the pushing/pulling of form draws on the large dramatic changes of landscapes while small water-etched designs reflect on an exploration of small-scale nature such as leaves or wildflowers. Overall, I look for a soft quality to the pieces I create which is enhanced through the glaze. ”

 

On her web site Dani states: “With current US politics attempting to reverse women’s rights, I choose to take part in the 4th Wave of Feminism, and create art to keep these rights moving forward. Much of my body of work consists of female-inspired forms and objects with strong feminist content. The colors and topics are loud and I inject humor in order to make these pieces more approachable. I strive to make work that is functional and domestic, attempting to keep these conversations at the everyday level, as I believe change starts on a small scale. Clay is my material of choice because it encourages touching and is permanent.”