25 Mar 2014

Earth Bound at Mindy Solomon Gallery Opens March 29th

MIAMI, FL—Mindy Solomon Gallery presents 'Earth Bound,' an exhibition celebrating contemporary exploration of wood fired ceramics, and two-dimensional works which speak to materiality and minimalism. The exhibition presents new works by artists Josh DeWeese, David Peters, Marc Lambrechts, and invited artists Tara Wilson, Scott Parady, Ted Adler, and Tim Rowan. An Opening Reception will be held Saturday, March 29th, from 6-9pm. The exhibition will be on view through May 3rd, 2014. Mindy Solomon Gallery is located at 172 NW 24th Street in the Wynwood Art District, Miami.

The ceramics in this collection by Josh DeWeese and David Peters are made of the earth, fabricated with material harvested for its inherent quality, for how it forms, and for how it reacts to the fire. Similarly, Marc Lambrechts' 'paintings' utilize wooden work surfaces and organic materials to create an earthy, abstract experience. Choices are made based upon a careful examination of results, and over time they come to represent the artists' voices, and new dimensions in the fields they represent.

The invited ceramic artists, Tara Wilson, Scott Parady, Ted Adler, and Tim Rowan represent a diverse approach to the process, and each has developed a unique expression within the genre. Ted Adler summons the metaphoric capacity of the vessel, creating bulbous, voluptuous forms that suggest the flesh and reflect the flow of the flame through the kiln. Scott Parady experiments with forming techniques and scale, capturing a wide range of responses from the firing and how ash settles on the ware, offering a purity to be discovered through use. David Peters' striking forms present a balance between high design and natural material, made with the authority achieved only through extensive research, careful observation, and a passionate commitment to digging his own clays and firing with wood. Tim Rowan's native clay sculptures are seemingly excavated and hewn, geologic elements from somewhere in time, exposed to the extremities of the fire. Tara Wilson's sensual forms remind us of worn river rocks, seeming to seduce the flame into patterns that enhance the soft curves and contribute to their presence in the home. Guest curator Josh DeWeese's interest in wood firing is in how the fire interacts with the glaze and changes the painting as it wraps around the form, looking for that extra kiss from the kiln.

Wood firing is a process that embraces risk. It is labor-intensive, and often results in a high loss rate, raising the question of its practicality as a means of production. Yet, it is these qualities that make sense within the context of a contemporary art practice. As participants, we are searching for the unexpected, the phenomenal qualities that may result from a process not quite in our control. With practice, knowledge accumulates and we develop an intuitive understanding of what may happen in the kiln. The outcome is often a very pleasant surprise.

Artist Marc Lambrechts, originally from Brussels, Belgium, explores wood surfaces while building up material-based grounds, sometimes employing plaster, banana leaves, corn husks, and paint. He also creates a basic linear composition on the surface, alternately working with found objects or etched lines. The effect is organic and minimalist with a sense of material familiarity.

Earth Bound is an exhibition about nature, material acquisition, and artistic connectedness to the familiar. The works are refreshingly unique—imbuing the viewer with a sense of the known and unknown.

Mindy Solomon Gallery is located at 172 NW 24th Street in Miami, Florida, open 11:00am-5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment; call 786-953-6917 or email info@mindysolomon.com for information.

ABOUT JOSH DEWEESE
In his own words, Josh DeWeese says: 'I am inspired and challenged by the art of pottery and strive to make work that is successful on multiple levels. I want my pots to be well-designed and comfortable to use; to be rich with ceramic wonder, and seductive to behold; and to have reference to history and the field of ceramic art to spark the imagination.

I'm drawn to the beauty and mystery of high temperature ceramics and the element of chance that occurs in atmospheric firings. Wood firing and salt/soda firing are processes where extreme surfaces can be achieved, in the subtle qualities of raw clays and the vibrant depths of a running glaze.

I have a passion for painting with ceramic materials on a three-dimensional form, having the drawing unfold as it moves around the pot. I enjoy the phenomenon of the melt and the element of gravity that enters the image through running glaze. The loss of control is important, blurring the lines made with the hand. The viscosity and movement of the glaze becomes an important element in the final image. The drawings often disappear among the layers of information that become the final surface, creating depth and a sense of curiosity.

Perhaps pottery's greatest power lies in its association with the human body. The language of pottery is the language of the body, with necks and feet, bellies and shoulders, and lips to touch our lips. The intimate relationship that develops with use strengthens this association. A personality develops, and the pots become our friends. In this friendship they become reflections of our humanness, and help give meaning to our lives.'


ABOUT DAVID PETERS
David Peters was born and raised in Amarillo Texas where he began making pots about thirteen years ago. He earned his bachelors of art from Utah State University where he discovered a love for historical ceramics and wood firing. Upon graduating he became a resident at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena Montana where he began using local materials for his work, which has now become the corner stone of his practice. He is now completing his graduate work at Montana State University where he continues to study and experiment with indigenous ceramic materials, while also exploring the potential of CAD, and innovative kiln design.


ABOUT MARC LAMBRECHTS
'Marc Lambrechts fuses the traditions of post-minimalist geometry and expressionist gesture; his squares, rectangles and triangles order his compositions, while his lyrical intersecting lines supply a contrasting and compelling energy to his work.' - Alice Gray


ABOUT TARA WILSON
Tara Wilson is a studio potter living in Montana City, Montana. Wilson received a BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2000 and an MFA degree from the University of Florida in 2003. She has been a resident artist at The Archie Bray Foundation and The Red Lodge Clay Center. Wilson was selected as an emerging artist for the 2006 NCECA conference, was a presenter at the 2006 International Woodfire Conference in Flagstaff, and a demonstrator at the 2009 NCECA conference in Phoenix, AZ. She has given lectures and workshops throughout the United States; and her work has been exhibited internationally. She says of her work: 'Embodied in my wood fired vessels is the serenity that I experience by surrounding myself on a daily basis with a rich natural environment. These situations provide calmness, a physical as well as mental space that allows me to relax, contemplate, and focus on the important details of my life...The simple things in life are often the most important, the great outdoors, the company of my dog, and the beauty of making pots on a daily basis.'


ABOUT SCOTT PARADY
Scott Parady is an artist who has worked with clay for the last twenty years. At his Burton Creek Studio in Pope Valley, CA, he has been firing a large anagama wood kiln since 1996. He is currently an Associate Professor of Ceramics at California State University, Sacramento, where he began teaching in 2003. He has also taught many workshops around the country at various universities and art centers. Scott exhibits his work widely in the US and is internationally recognized for his contributions to contemporary wood-fired ceramics. He has presented his work at two international conferences and has work in many important collections including the Di Rosa Art and Nature Preserve. His work can ben found at the Trax Ceramic gallery, B Sakata Garo, Lacoste Gallery, and Santa Fe Clay Studio. 'My artwork is generally derived from the dramatic geology surrounding my home in Northern California and the industrial civilization to which I am tied. Exploring the connection between environment and body is at the crux of my work.'


ABOUT TED ADLER
Ted Adler states of his artwork: 'By using the vessel as an analogy for selfhood and subjecting it to processes of forming and firing that lend themselves to a sense of transformation (which is both actual and figural), I hope to elicit a sense that our relationship to ourselves and the world around us is more slippery than we ordinarily like to admit.

Much of my work is finished using various slips and/or glazes that are particularly sensitive to the atmosphere of the kiln. In order to expand my palette, however, I frequently introduce Mason stains, such as lobster pink, which creates a colorful tension between the juicy wetness of fluxed glaze and the mineral encrustation of ash and embers.'


ABOUT TIM ROWAN
Tim Rowan was born in 1967 in New York City and grew up in Connecticut along the shore of Long Island Sound. His art education began during college, receiving a BFA from The State University of New York at New Paltz before journeying to Japan for 2 years to apprentice with ceramic artist Ryuichi Kakurezaki. Upon his return he worked briefly in studios in Massachusetts and New York before receiving his MFA from The Pennsylvania State University. He established his kiln and studio deep in the woods of the Hudson Valley in 2000 where he lives with his wife and son. His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions internationally most recently having solo shows at Cavin- Morris Gallery in New York, Yufuku Gallery in Tokyo, and Lacoste Gallery in Massachusetts: 'Working intuitively and with simple processes the land under our feet is transformed. The objects are grounded in earth time yet speak to us now. They are nature, not about nature.'


ABOUT MINDY SOLOMON GALLERY
Mindy Solomon Gallery specializes in contemporary emerging and mid-career artists. Represented works include painting, sculpture, photography, and video in both narrative and non-objective styles. Solomon also exhibits some of the most prestigious contemporary Korean artists on the world market. With an interest in client education, such as a collectors' tour to South Korea and regular artists' talks and VIP events, the gallery and its programs endeavor to showcase a unique and bold view of the international art world. Deeply interested in the intersection of art and design, Ms. Solomon and her team collaborate with designers, advisors, consultants and curators to inform and integrate fine works of art as part of a greater aesthetic. One of only six galleries in Florida to be included in 'Top 500 Galleries Worldwide' in the Louise Blouin Media Modern Painters 2013 Annual Guide, Mindy Solomon Gallery participates in many prestigious art fairs, including Art Miami during Basel's Art Week Miami Beach, Zona Maco Contemporary Art Fair in Mexico City, VOLTA NY, and Shanghai Contemporary.

The mission of the Mindy Solomon Gallery is to present the highest caliber works from emerging and mid-career artists in a broad spectrum of media. With a focus on context and the interconnectedness of material, Mindy Solomon and her staff approach the client/artist relationship with an interest in education and visual empowerment.