John Gill & Doug Casebeer
O
ne week after Robbins’ play- ful exhibit closed, the Foster Gallery was transformed into a more tranquil space, showcasing some 35 ceramic works by renowned artists John Gill and Doug Casebeer. The walls remained unusually bare and white, while the floor was set with an array of beautiful pottery including vases, ewers, teapots, cups, bowls and pitchers. Gill and Casebeer are longtime friends, who have worked together for more than 20 years at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Their work has been featured nationally and internationally. Gill and Casebeer also found a Nobles connection, which united them for this show. Zach ’11 and Cate Ellison ’14 —both of whom have also pursued the arts at Nobles—are Casebeer’s nephew and niece. Zach’s work was exhibited in the Foster Gallery’s exhibition, Student Show 2011: Work from the AP Studios and Cate is currently enrolled in Ceramics II. Gill worked with the late Lisa Elwell ’89. The Nobles kiln room named “Lisa’s Place” was dedicated in her honor in 2001. He describes Elwell as a great hand-builder and a great athlete. “She had these magic hands,” he says. “She could make anything.” Each artist possesses different techniques that differentiate the individual’s work. Gill’s displays of colorful ceramic work are both functional and sculptural. Wastrom deems it as different from any other ceramic work that has been featured in the gallery. His work shows a sense of movement. As a hand-builder, Gill uses shapes and forms to move his pieces and to inflate color in his pottery. “It’s just mud,” he says. “And you can make something out of mud, then melt glass on it. It’s kind of amazing. The
thing becomes vitreous and just lasts forever.” Casebeer’s passion for architecture is prominent in his wood- and sodafired pieces. Unlike Gill, he plays with less color; he expresses forms. Browns, oranges and greens are reflected in his bowls, teapots, vases, jars and platters. For 26 years, Casebeer has facilitated workshops for students of all levels and has overseen the facility at the Ranch, which includes building and rebuilding state-of-the-art kilns. As a world traveler, he believes that great artists must explore different cultures and teach in a place outside their comfort zone. “Creating art outside your familiar environment inspires you to look inside yourself for strength and identity, sparking new ideas in your work,” says Casebeer. Students in the Foster Gallery’s Afternoon Program curated the show from beginning to end—their first handson experience curating an exhibition. The four-student team assisted Wastrom with everything from unpacking the work and arranging the sequence for the show to designing invitations
and adding content to the website. Hamzat Raheem ’13, who designed graphics for the wall, flyers and website, admitted that it required an immense amount of hard work to assemble the show, but he found it very gratifying. “We found our hands full with beautiful and valuable pottery that we had to arrange in an aesthetically pleasing way. It took many tries before we were finally satisfied, but the final product was very rewarding.” Gill and Casebeer also led a Pottery Basics workshop at Nobles. Ceramics enthusiasts of all levels—within and beyond the Nobles community—spent a Saturday morning learning the fundamentals of pottery making, focusing on kitchenware. They told stories and shared their techniques with parti- cipants in a demonstration. “I love making pots with Doug,” says Gill. “He’s this great wheel-throwing artist, and I like hand-building and putting things together.” “We were really lucky to have them. Their work is of really high caliber. This is one of the best ceramic shows exhibited in the gallery,” Wastrom says.
Ewers by John Gill
Winter 2011–2012 l t he No b les Bulletin l 27