Meditations On The Apocalyptic

"Meditations on the Apocalyptic is an exhibition of recent works by five California artists who deal with the potential catastrophic consequence of human folly. As an artist the theme of ultimate destruction via the nuclear has been a long time personal concern for me. As a curator I selected these five artists because their diverse yet collective voices approach the broader theme of ultimate annihilation from many directions, allowing in the curatorial practice a far greater voice than is possible as a single artist. Each artist has contributed new work to this exhibit. While expecting answers is a romantic, utopian notion, we must ask the questions, both of ourselves and the world we live and die in."
Patrick Merrill, director, W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery

Featuring artists: Sierra Pecheur, Christopher Hinton, Mark Bryan, Robynn Smith, Duncan Simcoe

Sierra Pecheur was interviewed here on So Cal Potters last year. I am going to be talking with her about the work for this show and will post more images of it soon!

More From the American Museum of Ceramic Art

I went back out to AMOCA to see the Harrison McIntosh exhibit. This time Mr. McIntosh was there and signing copies of his new book Harrison McIntosh, A Timeless Legacy which is available fom AMOCA. That is Celeste Iida, President of the American Ceramic Society, Southern California Design Chapter getting her copy signed. I decided to tak a bunch more pictures and post. There are so many beautifull pieces on display I wanted to share. Below is one of the large platters on display and a few images of the sculptural work that he did.

Many fine examples of his work are on display, from platters to lidded vessels to chalice shapes and bottles. As I have said before, the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona California is a great place! If you are in the area be sure to check it out, better yet become a member! Check out the member page of AMOCA's site and support ceramics in America!

Art From The Ashes

Saturday October 10th I took a drive up to the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens to see the "Art From The Ashes" show.

Art From The Ashes is a non profit organization formed to create artwork to benefit those devastated by the ravages of fire. "ART from the ashes is a collaborative of independent artists and volunteers, founded by native Californian Joy Feuer, who contribute talent, time and energy to create art for resource. Artwork is crafted from materials collected from fire site locations after personal items have been removed. Debris that would otherwise be cleared and dumped into landfill is gathered and transfigured into one-of-a-kind works of art through the unique vision of each artist. ART from the ashes then hosts a charity exhibition showcasing the art that has been created from the reclaimed fire site materials. A portion of the proceeds from each exhibition is donated to a local or national charity chosen by the business or individuals impacted by the fire."

The show was placed along a pathway surrounding a wildflower filled meadow. Although the gardens were not totally destroyed and are making a comeback you can see the devastation the fire caused. The piece above is by Evan Vieser who used ash from the fire in his work. Below is an assemblage piece by Celeste Iida, she chose a blob of aluminum that had been a garden tool and the plates on the right below are from Peter Gee who also used ash from the fire in his creations.

The piece above on the left is from Joy Feuer, Joy placed a chunk of charred wood on her piece creating a different effect than using ash in glaze.