Derek Decker and Patricia Weiss: Ceramics and Paintings

I know it has been awhile since I have posted a blog.  I have been busy teaching at IPFW and have found my time in the studio has been rearranged according to these engagements.  I still have been working on new work and I have five new pieces in the process of being bisque fired at this time.  I still have to make the glazes for the pieces, but that shouldn't take too long.  I will post images of the new pieces after the bisque firing.  

On another note, I will be exhibiting my work along with a few new pieces in an upcoming exhibition at IPFW, along with Patricia Weiss, who is also an adjunct faculty member at IPFW.  The image above is the show card for the show.  The exhibit will run from January 14-February 10, 2013, in the IPFW Visual Arts Gallery, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

The IV International Festival of Post-Modern Ceramics, Ceramica Multiplex 2012, opens today at the City Museum of Varazdin, Croatia.  This International Juried Exhibition had more than 400 artists from around the world enter.  The artists selected from their respected countries are listed below.  I was honored to have a piece selected in the show and wish I could have attended the opening, but I'm busy teaching and have other commitments at this time.  If you are in Europe, specifically Croatia, stop by and check out the show, it should really be a great show. The link to their website is:  Keramiekon

Australia/AustralijaCarol Forster -  Miro’s Journey Tatiana Gvozdetskaya -  OKNAJohn Tuckwell -  In place
Austria/AustrijaEdeltrude ARLEITNER -  BON VOYAGE TO VARASDIN Gabriele Gruber Gisler -  Nothing to say            Peter Weihs -   Variete 1 and 2   
Belgium/BelgijaTjok Dessauvage  - 1. Sahara Landscape
                                   - 2. OrbitFrancoise Joris -  No name (2)Bernadette Lefevere  - Silent MoveVladica Sivcev  - They Might Roll Off
Czech Republic/ CeskaSarka Radova  - 1. Red House
                             - 2. PassageEva Slobodova  - Fun House
Chile/CilePaulina Basta Rivas  - Infinity Evolution
Croatia/HrvatskaMelani  Balaz - CoralVesna Barbieri - Cats
Lidia Bosevski -  SeedsZeljka  Bracko -  My Town of Memories   Kornelija Dretar -  Cuts of life         Ana Eres - Planet Earth and Birds  Mate Franin Pecarica -  No nameDurdica Horvat -  Wakening Zeljka Korbar -  Total EclypseVida Meic i Snjezana Spanic -  Good vibrationVisnja Naerlovic -   No titleVesna Osojnicki -   Astral movingDanijela Piculjan -  Ramified Whiteness Snjezana Pokos Vujec -   Imagination townDijana Rajkovic -  PossibilitySanja Stani  - Flow of thoughtsKarmen Sarman  - Portals and  i silhuets of Varazdina
Iva Viskovic  - Cubic cloudIvancica Voncina -  Lacerated underpants

Denmark/DanskaJytte Moeller  - Trunk II and II
Estonia/EstonijaAnnika Teder -  HAIKU
Germany/ Njemacka
Eren Aysegül - DissymmetryClaudia Biehne - “dance for three”  Heidi Degenhardt -  Corpi 1      Elena Krafft -   Station /BridgeGerhard Lutz -  MonstranceHeide Nonnenmacher -  Baroque rose I and IIChrista Steinmetz -  1. My town in your town
                                   -  2. ConnectedDora Varkonyi -  1. Individuum
                             -  2. Crack in biography Dora VarkonyiBarbara Wieland -  Up in the Air
Iran
Abbas Akbari -  Sky and the City
Irland/ IrskaKira O Brien -  Surrounded
Italija/ItalyAntonella  Cimatti  - Butterflies light and shadows  Marie-Josee Comello  - Il bordo

Israel/Izrael
Ester Beck  - Turbulence series (2011)   
Simcha Even Chen  - WeavesShamai Gibsh Stelae - 2012 Zahara Harel  - Little Poems Michal Ityel  - 4 o’clock tea Dori Schechtel Zanger -  Between memories and realityShulamit Teiblum Millar -  Memory
JapanEriko Inazaki  - 1. The world five seconds later 
                           - 2. Theremin Brian Ryosuke Sakashita -  AbsenceKano Takao -  We’re in This TogetherTetsuya Tanaka  - Thinking on the wall №31 Sound kept secretAki Toshiro  - Empty
Republic of South Africa/ Juznoafricka Republika
Rika Herbst  -  1. Green Odyssey   
                        -  2. A space Odyssey
Latvia / LetonijaEugenia Loginova -  Winter in overLiga Skarina -  Planets of Dreams
Lithuania/ LitvaAgne Kondrataite -  Town in town
Hungary/ MađarskaErika Rejka -  KJUBSándor Somogyi  -  1. Box of secrets
                                 -  2. ConnectTerez Szemereki  - SMART CLOUDS’
MaltaValerio Schembri  - Opening of the shell
The Netherlands/ NizozemskaJanneke Bruines  - 1. My House is Your House
                                 -  2. Viva Europa!                 Tineke van Gils  -Tulip   Window series 2011Heike Rabe  - Skyline of RotterdamEllen Rijsdorp  - 1. Sphere
                            - 2. ClartMariette van der Ven  -  1. Burn mother fucker, burn
                                         -  2. Cross-eyed Mary
Norway/ NorveškaCecilie Lind - Very Famous Artist
Poljska/PolandJan Drzewiecki -  A+B Joanna Teper -  Joanna Version 2.0
Romania/ RumunjskaArina Ailincai - Reflection porcelain
Slovenia/SlovenijaSapana Gandharb -  Ashok TreeIvana Petan -  Heart in headLucka Sicarov -  The last  typewriter in your townDani Zbontar -  Abandoned
Serbia/ SrbijaRadenko Adnadj -   Landscape 1Ljubica Jocic Knezevic -  CODEKatarina Lazic Vasiljevic -  Catch as catch canJelena Miletic -  Dinamicni rast Dynamic growthIvana Rackov -  No titleIvana Spoljaric -  Moj grad My TownNataša Vasilic -  Ant World I and II
Sweden/ SvedskaJaroslaw Lyko -  AbstractEdita Rydhag -  GETTING WINGS
Switzerland/ SvicarskaJens Balkert -  Pale Moon 1 Suzy Balkert -  Twilight 2Angela Burkhardt Gualini - 1. BOWLS
                                                 - 2. BAMBOODaniela Carrara -  Cell 2 Michael Marx -  Ice Tube DoubleSibylle Meier -  Where are the bed thingsMaude Schneider - Garbage
Taiwan/ TajvanNa Ling Huang -  Flower Swirling
Turkey/ TurskaŞirin Koçak - White Black BrownDeniz Onur Erman  - Owls on the Mountain of Owls
United Kingdom/ Velika BritanijaJo Davies - Pieces of Kennet   Carolyn Genders -  Abstract vessel 2 Rachel Grimshow -  Black BoxAdele Howitt  - Crystallised
USA/ SADIvan Albreht -   Encapsulated StackJake Allee -  HEX JAR
Stuart Asprey -  One Side Effect of Over-Eating
Susan Beiner  - Yellow Mountain IISharon Brill  - Conch 16  Barbara Broadwell -  Abbadon Andrew Casto  - Dirge 
Michael James Cimino  - Machinery #1: CycleChristopher Davis-Benavides  - Pouring FactoryDerek Decker  - Air QualityMatthew Dercole  -  1. Many will help you when you forget about
                                          physics
                                   - 2. Opposing forces and truthsNoriko Kuresumi - Sea of MemoryAnthony Kukich - Blue CollarJessica L.Smith -  Full Circle Marc Leuthold -  PagodaBrandon Lutterman -  Serenity JarKaren M. Gunderman -  Winter TangleKatherine Radomsky -  ElementTodd Shanafelt -  Not Merely EscapedRobert W Laware III -  Strobilius ImpostusAlyssa Wood  - Untitled ( 2 wall pieces)
GUESTS/ GOSTI

Austria/ AustrijaRosemarie Benedikt - Two ram
Croatia/ Hrvatska
Ivancica Cvitic Znidarcic -  BirdsJosip Grgevcic  - CourtshipMargareta Persic -  People are not rocksDora Pezic Mijatovic -  Association to the BaroqueZdenka Pozaic -  Wall of memories 21Visnja Markovinovic - Inhibited
Ljerka Njers -  Black-red plateBozena Stih Balen -  No titleRobert Wrana -  Little volute
Serbia/ SrbijaVelimir Vukicevic – No title
United Kingdom/ Velika BritanijaLorraine Robson

Across the Divide Ceramic Exhibition 2012

Here is another show that I will be in this summer out in Flagstaff, Arizona.  I will be sending the two pieces out this week.  I would post the images of the work, but I think I will wait until the show is up and running.  I don't want to give away any sneak peaks just yet.  I'm working on trying to get down there for the opening, but with the end of graduate school approaching this week I'm not sure just yet.
For more information about Coconino Center For The Arts use this link: http://www.culturalpartners.org/acrossthedivide.htm

Opening Reception: June 2, 6-8pm

Across the Divide will encompass the vast array of contemporary ceramics in the sculptural and installation genres. This exhibit uses the Continental Divide as a metaphor for the artist working in clay that has separated them from traditional techniques and stereotypes within the medium. Participating artists were encouraged to submit work that pushes traditional boundaries of the ceramic medium in its treatment of material and subject.

This exhibition features artists from across the country. All forms of ceramic sculpture, installation and new media work will be included. All works will have some ceramic component and range in scale from hand held to monumental.
Across the Divide opens with a reception on Saturday, June 2, 2012, from 6-8pm. Many of the participating artists will be in attendance, and there will be live music and some treats. The exhibition will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11am-5pm, from June 5, through July 28, 2012, at the Coconino Center for the Arts. Admission to the reception and gallery is free and open to the public.

Juror

Steven Schaeffer is a ceramic sculptor whose work has been shown nationally as well as internationally including the Florence Biennale and the Ceramic Biennial International Competition in Korea. Steve teaches Ceramics at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.


Photos: top Christine Golden, bottom Steven Schaeffer

Petroleum Paradox Opening

Artist Opening for Petroleum Paradox at Denise Bibro Fine Art  Please Join Us! Thursday, May 24 6-8 p.m. 529 West 20th Street, NYC. Denise Bibro Fine Art is pleased to host the Women's Caucus for Art exhibition Petroleum Paradox: For Better or For Worse?, juried by Eleanor Heartney, on view May 24 through June 23, 2012. Opens Thursday, May 24 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at 529 West 20th Street, NYC. Co-President for New York WCA, Marcia Annenberg, states: "this exhibit seeks to raise awareness of the imminent danger of uncontrolled climate change, caused by an excessive dependency on fossil fuels... It is our generation that has been called to this task."  To paraphrase Eleanor Heartney, "... the thoughtful works that comprise this exhibit present questions, such as 'How do we balance economic development, environmental protection, and geopolitical stability in an ever more precarious world? What are we willing to give up today to avoid catastrophe tomorrow? Where should we commit our resources? How should we define our social and economic priorities?'" The variety of perspectives of the artists involved employ photography, video, painting, and sculpture. These artists reinforce the paradox at the center of our environmental predicament. Heartney notes, human creativity and innovation are at the root of our difficulties, but they are also the source of our potential salvation. Artists in the exhibition:  Elaine Alibrandi, Scott,Anderson, Marcia Annenberg, Krisanne Baker, Ulla Barr, Kristen Baumlier, Cheryl Bookout, Paul Bouchard, Tracy Brown, Lois Bryant, Allegra Burke, Donna Catanzaro, Rachel Clark, Janet Culbertson, Michael D'Antuono, Derek Decker, Sherri Denault and Margie Glass Sula, Liz Dodson, Alice Dubiel, Sally Edelstein, Johnny Everyman, Trish Foschi, Pam Foss, Terri Garland, Catherine Gilbert, Carla Goldberg, Maeve Grogan, Livia Gus, Karen Gutfreund, Andrew Hamill, Aimee Hertog, Suzanne Hodes, Roxane Hollosi, Shelah Horvitz, Patti Jordan, Robin M Jordan, Vesna Jovanovic, Noreen Larinde, Amy Larsen, Molly Magai, Paho Mann, Brandi Merolla, Barbara Milman, Mitzi Mize, Andrea Morganstern, Sandra Mueller, Rosa Naparstek, Patty Neal, Rob Neilson, Lynnda Pardoe, Bonnie Peterson, Sara Petitt, Roxanne Phillips, Stefani Rossi, Soledad Salame, Loredana Sangiuliano, Samuel Scharf, Debbie Schore, Manju Shandler, Lynnette Shelley, Katherine Sifers, Simone Spicer, Greg Stange, Deborah Mills Thackrey, Linnea Tober, Lucy Traeger, Michelle Waters, Margi Weir, Jenifer Wightman, Roscoe Wilson, Helen Zajkowski, Patrcia Zalisko.    Notes from Karen Gutfreund, Exhibition Director:  Art can be a powerful, productive force and instrumental in sparking change or critical thinking.  The Women's Caucus for Art is committed to supporting local, national, and global art activism.  Art can produce a visceral response and can provoke, inspire, or disturb, and opens your eyes to worlds other than your own. While the artist may not consider themselves to be a revolutionary, by bringing to light issues and concerns, art can effect change. We need of works that help us to understand what is happening in our society, who we are, where we come from and where we're going.   With Petroleum Paradox: For Better or For Worse, we asked for works that stir emotions, discussion and debate about our petroleum-dependent world. Examples include, but were not limited to, works that address the impact of collecting, processing and delivering fossil fuel on the environment; global warming; the power of big oil companies to control countries and governments; an imagined life without fossil fuel; and life forms that were the origins of fossil fuel. The discovery of oil, in 1859, in Pennsylvania, transformed our way of life; we are enveloped by petroleum products-from the shoes we wear, to the materials our clothes are made of, to the way we heat our houses, to our modes of transportation. Oil dependency pollutes the environment causing respiratory illness, endangers wildlife, and necessitates the large scale loss of life as we search to secure sources of oil overseas. How do we initiate change with this rush to grab dwindling non-renewable energy assets, instead of focusing on renewable energy and the prevention of global warming? This exhibition manifests the artists response to the Petroleum Paradox and what is happening in our oil dependent society and world.   Eleanor Heartney, Contributing Editor, Art in America and Artpress, chose 72 artists for Petroleum Paradox with 31 works in the gallery at Denise Bibro Fine Art and an additional 43 featured in the catalog. This show is in collaboration with Denise Bibro of Denise Bibro Fine Art.  We are honored to work with these artists and to showcase their work. We believe in the power of artists to create, connect, and change the world.        We hope that you will join us in our celebration of 40 years of women and the arts! Regards, Karen Gutfreund Vice President and National Exhibitions Director Women's Caucus for Art

Jack Hammer Finished!

I know it has been awhile since I've posted new images and update what I've been up to.  I can assure everyone that I have been busier than a bee in spring.  At the moment my thesis show is up at the Bruce Gallery here at Edinboro University.  I know I have a lot to post to catch everyone up on the happenings in the studio and upcoming shows I will be in so let me post this image of the jackhammer and continue the other posts as well.

This piece took me awhile due to the fact that I was trying to get it done in time for my thesis exhibition, as well as other work for the show.  I ran into a problem due to me rushing the work and not taking the necessary steps to make sure it was structurally made well, so I had to cut it apart and reinforce a few areas within the form.  I recalled my first fears as an undergraduate when I first encountered problems on a sculpture I had been working on.  Now I know that it's all about mistakes and learning from those lessons that one really makes strides in any material an artist is working with.  With that being said the jackhammer turned out fine.  The jackhammer is hand built using terra cotta (slabs, pinch, and coil), as well as press molded additions.  The bit was originally clay, but I had a warping issue, due to misplacing the lower part of the hammer up against the inside of the kiln, but I adapted and used mixed media to make it work out.

Progress of Jack Hammer

It has been a while since I've posted some images.  I have bisque fired the jack hammer and fired my first glaze on the piece last week.  I have tapped off some areas and applied tool dip to the handle grips and the rubber protective piece of the hammer.  The other picture is another piece I am working on as well for my thesis exhibition.  With NCECA coming up in just a few days, I'm trying to get to a nice stopping point before the conference starts this week in Seattle. 

Jackhammer in progress

As usual there is always work going on in the studio.  I have started another sculpture to go along with my thesis exhibition.  It will be a life-size replica of a air powered jackhammer.  The industrial reference is apparent with the form and questions the "object/artifact" aspect within my research and theme for my installation.  I plan on finishing the surface with multiple glazes, some of which I developed in my glaze and calculation class from last semester.  The end result will be a trompe l'oeil piece. 
I am hand building this piece and it's been a blast!  I really love pushing myself with the technical aspects of building hollow and creating a sculpture from multiple forms by hand.  Even though I enjoy working with molds as well, in my slip-cast work, I feel a connection with the material through the whole process of building by hand.  I have been using slabs, pinch pot method, coil, and press molds (bolts and screws).  Due to the size I have had some set backs, but I've reinforced areas where it was essential for the structural integrity I needed due to the scale.  I'll be posting the other half of the piece by the end of the week if not sooner.

Slip-Casting and Hand Building in February

The last couple of weeks have been filled with slip-casting and while I am still involved heavily with it, I felt it was time to get back to hand building some new work.  I really enjoy both processes, but with hand building I feel I have a more personal touch with the material.  Pictured first are some slip-cast bottles that I am making to go with a wall piece (the gears, not pictured), and the other photographs show the earthenware "Jackhammer", that I am building with slabs, pinch-pot method, and press-molds.  I know traditionally sculptures are made from the ground up, but in some cases I have found it to be easier to build upside down for certain sculptures due to scale and weight issues.  This is the case with this sculpture, so i thought I would post some pictures to better illustrate this.

Slip-Casting in February

Recently I've been trying to finish up a wall piece that I've been working on and off for about a year.  I also have been slip-casting a couple of forms for two other pieces that I am working on as well.  I'm hoping to load up a bisque firing this weekend, and hopefully I will get some more forms slip-cast.  I also will have to finish up weathering the other forms I'm still working on.  Pictured are some of the forms for the wall piece, which are undergoing the "weathering" process, as well as a bottle form to go along with another wall piece, and finally the other slip-cast parts to create a small sculpture, which I plan on creating multiples of, for a different piece.

New Sculptures 2012

I just wanted to post a few pictures of some of my new work, that I've been working on for my Thesis.  I had been really busy trying to finish up these pieces, so I could add them to my portfolio.  I'm still working on two other larger pieces for my thesis work and still have some new work to create this semester as well.  At the moment I have a kiln firing some of the pieces I will need for both of those pieces, that are still in progress.  I hopefully will one of those pieces finished in a week or two. 

I developed the glazes for the "track" part and the respirator mask when I was taking glaze calculation last semester.  The glazes are all low-fire (cone 06).  The blue and orange piece was finished with cold glazes.

Works in progress-January 2012

I know it's been some time since I last posted to my blog, but it is the last semester of Graduate School and time management has been one of the most important aspects for getting the work done that I will need for my thesis exhibition.  On top of all the regular day to day grind as a graduate student, it is approaching that time to also look at the options after this phase of my education.  So with that in mind, I've been working on numerous pieces and developing glazes for my work.  The glaze calculation and materials class, which I took last semester, has really helped me in developing my own glazes and starting to now take advantage of that research.  There are still tests I am doing since I am using two different clay bodies for my work, but the results are more understandable to what is happening with the materials involved. 

The images posted are a representation of just a few of the things I have been doing the last couple of weeks.  

Under Construction-update of progress

On my second day back in the studio I continued working on this piece and tried to refine it with specific details and additions using the pinch pot method and small slabs.  I have to get back in the studio to finish up some more details, but it's pretty much ready to continue drying slowly until the bisque firing.