Mud Transfusion
UVM Pottery Co-op
April 2016
Mud Transfusion New work by
Members of the UVM Pottery Co-op April 1, 2016 – May 2, 2016 Frog Hollow Gallery, Burlington, VT
Frog Hollow Craft Association Inc FROG HOLLOW IS DEDICATED TO THE EXPOSURE AND APPRECIATION OF VERMONT FINE ART AND CRAFT. THROUGH SALES, EXHIBITIONS, AND EDUCATION, IT EXISTS TO SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND TO PROMOTE THE AWARENESS OF THE ESSENTIAL IMPORTANCE OF THE HANDCRAFTED.
Staff Rob Hunter Executive Director
Meredith Mann Floor Manager/Exhibit Curator
Founder Allen Johnson
Frog Hollow Craft Association Board of Directors Carol MacDonald- President Lynne Bond - Vice President Rachel Morton - Secretary Eileen Blackwood - Treasurer Susan Raber Bray
Frog Hollow Gallery Board of Directors Liz Lawrence - President Cody McKibben Kevin Ruelle - Secretary
“FORM AND FIGURE”
This exhibit will exemplify the transition of clay from a pile of mud into a unique piece of art and how it can manifest itself in many forms both functional and non-functional. The exhibit will celebrate the diversity of clay and it's endless possibilities with a focus on clay being used as wall decoration in 2 or 3 dimentional form. This use of the material creates an invitation to explore the process of how a piece makes it from river bed to gallery. The UVM Pottery Coop is a community oriented pottery studio for both UVM Student's and faculty and open to anyone who is interested in exploring clay. The Teachers at the Pottery Co-op have exemplary skill levels and a wide range clay experience. There's a class for every level, from beginners to more advanced students. Our welcoming and productive environment is one of the hidden gems in our incredibly creative community. The Artists in this exhibit will include: Sherry Corbin(South Hero), Chris Behr(Burlington), Bech Evans(South Burlington), Raquel Sobel(Colchester), Rebbecca D'Agostine, Geoff Gordon(Burlington), Becky Mulheron(Burlington), Joan Watson(Burlington), Meredith Mann(South Burlington), Katy Pensak(South Burlington), Jess Louisos(South Burlington), Gary Godbersen(Essex JCT), Theora Ward(Hinesburg), Alex Hoffmann(Burlington), Lilly Calabrese(Burlington), Erika Cummings(Montpelier), Tamara Cameron(Colchester), Rebecca Moyer(Fairfax). – Meredith Mann
GARY GODBERSEN GAGO001, 2016 Tea Set (5 Piece) 12” x 9” x 4” - Teapot 2.5” x 3.25” x 4” - Cups each $4000
JOHN FRISCHE JFRI001, 2016 Wall Piece 7.5” x 6” $60
REBECCA MOYER RMOY006, 2016 Bowl with Skulls 8” x 8” x 4” $58
TAMARA CAMERON TCAM008, 2016 Handbuilt Vessel 16” x 7” x 4” $75
BECKY MULHERON RMUL007, 2016 Flower Wall Piece 14” x 14” x 3” $450
BECKY MULHERON RMUL008, 2016 Wall Piece 10.5” x 10.55” x 2” $200
CHRIS BEHR CBEA009, 2016 Stoneware Wall Sconce 13.5” x 5” x 7” $120
SHERRY CORBIN SCOR001, 2016 Penguin 12” x 6” x 5” $200
TESS BARBACH TBAR005, 2016 Butt Mugs 4” x 4” x 3” $34 each
MEREDITH MANN MMAN013, 2016 Wall Skull 6” x 9” $95
REBECCA D'AGOSTINE RDAG001, 2016 Vase 11.5” x 7” x 7” $100
GEOFF GORDON GGOR001, 2016 Large Behive Sconce 11.5” x 10.25” x 7.5” $400
TAMARA CAMERON TCAM007, 2016 Ampersand 20” x 18” $100
CHRIS BEHR CBEA010, 2016 Stoneware Wall Sconce 9” x 8” x 4” $98
ALEX HOFFMAN AHOF002, 2016 Medium Bowl 8” x 8” x 3” $30
TAMARA CAMERON TCAM003, 2016 Teapot 7” x 10” x 5” $130
TAMARA CAMERON TCAM006, 2016 Creamer 4” x 4” x 7” $30
TAMARA CAMERON TCAM006, 2016 Sugar Bowl 4” x 4” x 4” $30
THEORA WARD TWAR005, 2016 Bowl 10.5” x 10.5” x 6.5” $95
MEREDITH MANN MMAN014, 2016 Battleground 18” x 30” $295
BECH EVANS BEVA001, 2016 Platter 14” x 14” x 2” $125
SHERRY CORBIN SCOR002, 2016 Cow Skull 18” x 30” $200
THEORA WARD TWAR006, 2016 Medium Bowl 9.5” x 9.5” x 5.5” $75
RAQUEL SOBEL RSOB008, 2016 Plate Birch 10.5” x 10.5” x 1.5” $200
RAQUEL SOBEL RSOB009, 2016 Bowl Triangles 32” x 15” x 14” $150
ALEX HOFFMANN AHOF001, 2016 Large Mugs 4.5” x 5.5” x 4” $30 each
GEOFF GORDON GGOR008, 2016 Altered Bowl 6.5” x 6.5” X 2” $33
LILY CALABRESE LCAL002, 2016 Cat Head 1 6” x 6” $60
LILY CALABRESE LCAL003, 2016 Cat Head 2 5” x 6” $50
LILY CALABRESE LCAL004, 2016 Cat Head 3 4” x 5” $30
GEOFF GORDON GGOR007, 2016 Teapot 5” x 6” x 4” $46
KATIE PENSAK KPEN003, 2016 Doors 5” x 3” $24 each
LILY CALABRESE LCAL008, 2016 Mug 4.25” x 3” x 4.5” $22
Jessica LOUISOS JLOU001, 2016 Hand Built Stoneware Moon 16” x 16” x 2” $450
LILY CALABRESE LCAL008, 2016 Mug 4.5” x 5” x 3.5” $22
REBBECCA D'AGOSTINE RDAG004, 2016 Plate 11” x 10.75” x 3” NFS
BECKY MULHERON RMUL004, 2016 Flower Jar Large 4.25” x 6” x 6” $90
Artist Bios
John Fritsche John was a Professor of Education at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois for 26 years until retiring and moving to Vermont in 2015. He holds a B.A. in education, an M.A. in Educational Administration and an Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction. He began his teaching career as a middle school art teacher and studied ceramics at Cleveland State University. While pursuing a career in teaching, John continued his interest in ceramics. During the 2006/07 academic year he took a year-long sabbatical to study ceramics at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While at the Art Institute he was mentored by Xavier Toubes, chair of the Ceramics Department and one of his ceramics professors, whose thoughts and insights on working with clay and color continue to influence his work. John believes one learns by doing and doing with others, especially in the ceramic process. This is one reason John sought out and joined the Living and Learning Pottery Co-Op. He enjoys working with the medium of clay because he finds something both elemental and sophisticated about transforming a substance so common yet so complex into forms that can please and stimulate the eye and mind.
Bech Evans Bech Evans is from Jackson, Mississippi. He studied ceramics at the University of Mississippi and the Pennsylvania State University. He is the director of the Living/Learning Center Pottery Co-op on the campus of the University of Vermont. He lives in South Burlington, Vermont with his wife and two boys.
Lily Calabrese Lily Calabrese attends University of Vermont studying Environmental Science and Agricultural systems. She experiments with a variety of art forms including clay, masonry, jewelry making, and botanical drawings. She first started working with clay in high school, and joined the UVM pottery Co-op 2 years ago. She is currently teaching a beginner’s handbuilding and wheel throwing class. Lily’s work reflects her abstract depiction of everyday life, with inspiration from pets, plants, daydreams and doodles. When she's not making or teaching pottery, you will find her gardening, playing guitar, and snowboarding.
Chris Behr Chris grew up in Burlington VT, studied architecture at RPI, and has worked at UVM for 22 years. "I see endless possibilities for human, vegetable, robotic, and industrial forms working with clay "
Geoff Gordon Geoff Gordon started making pottery in 2009 at the UVM pottery Co-op. While studying at UVM, he obtained dual degrees of studio art and engineering. Geoff currently practices pottery during his time off from work, especially during the winter months. He enjoys constantly experimenting with the the process of creating ceramic objects, with a diverse range of form, surface, and function. When he is not in the studio, Geoff can be found in the woods and mountains of Vermont on a bike or board.
Alex Hoffmann I first experienced clay as a kid at The Art School at Old Church in Demarest, NJ across the street from my childhood home. My first semester in college, I fell into the Co-Op and have been hooked ever since. I have always been an active maker, utilizing media from wood to metal to food, but only clay has allowed me to use my hands to directly shape my work. I create functional pieces that are intended to be held and used, utilizing surface textures and glazes to stimulate the hands and eyes. I currently study Mechanical Engineering at UVM, and teach an introductory clay class with Lily Calebrese at the L/L Co-Op.
Jessica Clark Louisos Pottery is more than just a medium, it is a world of infinite possibilities and flexibility, away from the sometimes rigid world of life and engineering. My most recent work, shown here, is inspired by my two favorite artists, who have been mentors in both artistic and life endeavors: painter Laurel Fulton Waters who has somehow captured the colors of Vermont in one-dimension and Joan Watson whose works in clay really seem to move, with who I am so proud to share this show. studio student since 1999
Meredith Mann I have over 25 years of experience teaching ceramics to children and adults in many different cultures and communities from Vermont, to the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Provoking emotion, positive or negative in people, and inspiring conversation through my work is my greatest reward. Clay brings community together through ritual, ceremony, and everyday life. I am honored to help carry on this ancient tradition in our modern society. There is no greater reward to me than my student’s successes.
Joan Watson I have been the coordinator of the Living/Learning Pottery Studio since 1977. That position has allowed me to explore clay in a dynamic clay community, affording me the opportunity to work with many clays, techniques and people. Although I have stayed in the same physical place, my clay work is always moving. I love that clay has so many rules to break.
Tamara Cameron Tamara Cameron studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she received a Bachelor of Design and never took a single ceramics class! She discovered the joys clay while living in Montreal and has stayed with it ever since. Arriving in Vermont about thirteen years ago, she found her way to the UVM Pottery Co-Op where she has been teaching for the last seven years. Tamara forms all her work from flat slabs of clay without the use of a potter’s wheel. For Tamara, the challenge of creating functional, threedimensional forms from flat surfaces is a never-ending source of interest and adventure.
Theora Ward When I was 12 years old I saw someone throw a pot on a wheel and thought it was magic. Now that I know the process of making clay and glaze, forming a piece, trimming, glazing, firing and finally sending the finished pot out into the world to loved ones, friends and strangers I know that the child was right. There is magic in every step and it delights me.
Gary Godbersen I have been creating and making 3 dimensional things, both realistic and functional and fun and fanciful, since I was a small child. That desire to create, explore and discover has carried with me through all my pursuits in life. Those include teaching for many years at the L&L pottery Coop, designing and building cabinets and structures, and creating and selling ceramic pieces. I find that clay is a unique material to work with in that it is wonderfully plastic yielding to any forms, surfaces, and scale that one can conceive if one is willing to work with it and learn the technical complexity and subtlety of it. My experience teaching has shown me that everyone works with clay in their own style and every piece is unique to the artist. In my own work I have pursued the architectural aspects of it where various forms can be created, joined, and manipulated to create something completely new, powerful and different. I have also pursued art as a medium for a message invoking the cartoonish and playing off the objects and stereotypes which have been incorporated into our lives by the media, the corporate machine and simply by life. I also enjoy making functional ware with my own twist and style for everyday use.
Rebecca Mulheron My work is inspired by nature, with its organic fluidity and serendipity. I believe in surrounding your life with beauty and positivity, which inspires me to transform my work into depictions of life in its purest form.
Rebecca Moyer My work reflects a fascination with textures and contrast. I love the architectural possibilities of slabs as well as the ancient practice of pinching pots and adorning them. Bowls and boxes give me the ability to experiment and still make functional pottery.
Katie Pensak I love creating functional forms on the wheel and adding hand built elements. I am gradually shifting from trying to create "perfect" shapes to embracing the inherent organic quality of art created with clay and even emphasizing it.
Sherry Corbin Clay has been in my life since high school. I had great teachers early in my life that let me take clay beyond the expected, including Joan Watson. After college, pottery became an once every 3-4 year hobby, taking classes through the old Church Street Center, but working on various volunteer efforts and a real job took the majority of my time. About 14 years ago a friend read my palm and told me to get back into pottery because I needed to get centered, no pun intended. I was lost. I joined the UVM coop and took classes with as many different teachers as I could. There I met Anne Jerman who turned me on to Raku. Anne showed me the excitement of Raku. The magic! Raku lets me move beyond the conventional. For me pottery is not about functional pieces, even though I do make them. Raku is about art. I find Raku in the woods, in the cities and in my mind. A chickadee, a crow, a barn or a church – I can see them all through Raku. My functional work now has become a palette for the Raku fire to paint, changing my glazes to a final unique piece. Raku has taken my hobby and made it an intriguing passion. Hopefully you will see the fun and the magic in it also.
Raquel Sobel Playing with clay makes time stop and the world disappear…. I love creating pieces that are both functional and esthetically pleasing. I’m always searching for balance, fluidity and harmony in them. Challenging forms intrigue and draw me into them. I get lost in the different shades of blue and I love using overlaps to create texture and depth in the glazes. Most of my work is done on the potter's wheel. The magic that happens there fascinates me. I begin with a ball of clay and change it dramatically into a basic bowl or vase. Then, with very soft and subtle touches, I completely change its personality and give it its character. It's really magical! Originally from Uruguay, where I played with clay a little bit, I’ve been happily making pots at UVM L&L program since 2000.
Rebecca D’Agostine Rebecca D’Agostine arrived at UVM in 2011. Feeling lost, unsure and lacking any real direction, she found a place in the Pottery program, amongst the supportive community of the Co-op. Upon graduation, Rebecca fulfilled a two-year wood-fired apprenticeship at Highland Pottery in Fletcher, VT. She currently throws production style, and teachs a wheel throwing course at the Co-op. “Raised in Boston, and transplanted to Vermont, I’ve put a great deal of thought into feeling a sense of belonging within a community. I love making objects; imagining them in my home or in others. This idea of home has driven my work towards a polarity of space and time. Inspired by street art and the culture of the city, and with admiration towards the great folk potters of rural Japan and Great Britain, I aim to create a conversation between old and new, traditional and progressive, and so many other dichotomies that exist on this diverse planet.
Frog Hollow Gallery Catalogue Produced by: Frog Hollow Gallery, 2016 Cover: Stoneware Wall Sconce by Chris Behr Catalogue Design by: Rob Hunter
Frog Hollow
85 Church Street Burlington, VT 05401 WWW.FROGHOLLOW.ORG