Ceramic artists showcase their diverse art

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- First thought: What's a used 35 mm camera, complete with worn leather case, doing at an exhibit showcasing the finest of contemporary ceramics?

Look close: The camera is clay, the replica Canon a kiln-fired ringer for the real thing -- right down to the shiny chrome buttons and dials. The artist is Paul Dresang.

Double and triple takes at the camera and other realistic clay designs are a common sight at a new exhibit of contemporary ceramic artists from across the United States and Canada. Such realistic objects are done in a style called "trompe l'oeil," French for "to deceive the eye."

"Clay has no real structure of its own, so it can take on the structure of anything," said Bill Hunt, a Columbus College of Art and Design professor who created the exhibit, "21st Century Ceramics in the United States and Canada."

The exhibit, on display at the college's Canzani Center Gallery through Dec. 7, features 506 objects by 253 artists.

"I wanted to depict the whole scope of ceramics, so this is a representative sampling of every movement, every style that's going on in contemporary ceramics," said Hunt, former editor of Ceramics Monthly magazine.

The exhibit has plenty of traditional objects, including an entire wall devoted to teapots, often a stepping stone for clay artists moving from function into art.

They range from such designs as Sam Chung's "Teapot (green/ black)," a porcelain pot updating the common form with angles and curves, to Richard Notkin's "Heart Teapot: The Pump II," a stoneware teapot in the shape of a heart.

Between those extremes is Susan Filley's "Regal Teapot-Starry Blue," a blue porcelain teapot transforming itself into a dancer striking a triumphant pose.

"Many people like teapots and use them," said John Glick, an artist who has worked with clay for more than 40 years. "Many, many artists have used the teapot as a launching point for sculptural and conceptual things."

Some of the nontraditional works include a large American flag and several sculptures. Adrian Arleo's "Woman With Reclined Blue Child" suggests miniature versions of unearthed victims of Pompeii. She used a chemical process generally considered a firing flaw -- small white glaze beading on a surface like water on a waxed car, a phenomenon called "crawling."

The show demonstrates how far ceramics have evolved from traditional pottery. Hunt says artists working with clay had to push themselves to be accepted by the art world.

The distance that certain artists have gone bothers some traditional potters, who believe they're being left behind as their craft becomes high-priced art.

"For a potter in America, the 21st century is going to be very, very tough if you're making humble, quiet, low-price point functional ware," said artist Todd Piker, whose work is on view.

Other artists say there's room for everyone in the field, and that the traditional form is still honored. The Canzani Center show is unique because of its size -- the school devoted a 10,000-square foot gallery to the exhibit -- and the selection. Plus, artists were allowed to submit what they considered their best work rather than having a curator choose for them.

"Everybody gets this, that's the best of fun," Hunt said. "Even our security guard comes in and says, 'What a great show.' "

Copyright C 2003 Deseret News Publishing Co.
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.