Artifacts

The Clay Studio is pleased to announce this season's national juried group exhibition entitled "Artifacts". Participating artists include Valerie Bowe of New Jersey, Geri Camarda of North Carolina, Lisa Caruso of Allentown, Keith Ekstam of Missouri, Dean Jensen of Maryland, Brad Schwieger of Indiana, and Marvin Sweet of Massachusetts. A reception for the artists will be held Sunday, June 4, 2 - 5 PM. The gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 1 - 6 PM, and Saturday 11 - 4.

"Artifacts" recognizes a similarity in the nature of the work of the chosen artists: the quality of human-made objects, tools, vessels, icons, and mysterious makings of past civilizations. The artists were not asked to create work that exemplified the theme, rather they have worked in their own styles, their own directions, their own interpretations.

In a review of their statements of artistic intent, one would find many diverse ideas at work. For example, Camarda professes a close relationship with the earth, her forms symbolizing the struggle for survival, and the resulting harmony and energy. Ekstam attempts to capture human achievements and frailties in his objects as well, using architectural imagery as his inspiration for aged-looking monumental "fragments" Bowe's work is also about the "nature of clay; clay that is handled but not smoothed" revealing the textures and processes of raw clay. She is largely influenced by travels to ancient ruins in Italy and the Mexican Yucatan. Caruso turns the ultimate in high-tech into primitive objects, clay T.V. screens and monitors of a pre-gadgetry age.

Sweet and Schwieger are bound to the vessel tradition. Sweet feels a spiritual kinship with ceramists of the past whose work represents the "essence of their culture" creating work that expresses history and ritual. In keeping with the concept of the utilitarian pot, Schwieger, though he alters, twists and modifies his vessels, is ultimately true to the form. not allowing surface or color to overwhelm the original use of the pot. Similarly, Jensen maintains the importance of the form in his functionally-derived work through the use of subtle terra sigilatta surfaces.

This year, 1989, the Clay Studio celebrates fifteen years of local and national service as a non-profit educational arts organization dedicated to promoting the ceramic arts and work of new clay artists through its gallery, school, studio space and lecture series.