California Clay is on view at Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
January 13 – March 31, 2024
Bedford Gallery presents a survey of California-based artists working in clay with the exhibition California Clay. In response to the recent ceramics renaissance in the contemporary art world, this exhibition features an intriguing mix of functional, aesthetic, and conceptual works that highlights the versatility of the medium and celebrates ceramics as both functional and fine art.
Ceramics have a long, rich global history originating with the functional use of pottery. Over thousands of years, artists have evolved the medium into aesthetic and conceptual fine art while others, like featured artists Kat Hutter & Roger Lee, Mary Law, Brandon Lipe, Nancy Selvin, and Sandy Simon, continue to honor ancient pottery traditions with their beautiful functional works that explore form in expanded ways. For Law, function informs her daily practice, imagining how the handle of her signature bird-like ewers might feel or how the gentle cascade of water from the spout might look and sound. In her Trophy series, Selvin turns to the urn to capture the true essence of clay and celebrate remarkable figures, like Abstract Expressionist women, and artistic concepts. With Red, for instance, pays tribute to the color’s myriad meanings across cultures.
Previously labeled craft, ceramics found footing in the fine art world during the California Clay Movement of the 1950s, a period when artists sculpted clay with aesthetics, rather than function, in mind. Contemporary California artists such as Sara Bright, Mark Goudy, YehRim Lee, Mary Alison Lucas, Liza Riddle, and Erik Scollon continue to push the boundaries of what clay can do and be. As an homage to her birthplace, YehRim Lee employs traditional Korean hand-building techniques to create contours and planes that jut out from the wall or pedestal. Decadent, colorful glazes flood the fragmented surfaces in her series, Dopamine Dressing, to attempt to trick the brain into releasing mood lifting chemicals. Goudy meticulously captures subtle, often unseen, yet complex geometry in nature. As a former engineer, he harnesses science to 3D print “mother molds” for his intricate, undulating ceramics that capture the light and shadows of sine waves.
Other contemporary ceramicists use clay as a vehicle to address complex concepts. In California Clay, Robert Brady, Reniel Del Rosario, Christopher Fortin, Phyllis Green, Ahn Lee, Cathy C. Lu, Nathan Lynch, and Ehren Tool explore topics relating to the body, identity, value, politics, and war in their work. Based in Santa Monica, Green molds and morphs clay into bodily representations as seen in her Odd Old Things series. Inspired by Degas’ dainty ballerinas, Green’s bulbous, rust colored sculptures provide a stark contrast and apropos commentary on aging. For Tool, clay is a bridge between his service in the Gulf War and civilian life, a material that “is very responsive and immediate but once it goes through the fire it is unchanged for many years,” much like the aftereffects of war. He prolifically throws cups laden with military insignia and gives them away, many to veterans and their families. The cups become touchstones for unspeakable conversations, bringing awareness that the artist hopes will last well after his lifetime.
Whether for the purpose of function, aesthetics, or concept, the artists in California Clay turn to clay for its expansive creative possibilities. The exhibition showcases the versatility of the medium and ingenuity of contemporary ceramicists.
About Bedford Gallery
Bedford Gallery (BG), a program of the City of Walnut Creek, shows the work of modern and contemporary artists. The gallery is dedicated to providing the public with opportunities to learn about visual arts through public programs that are varied, accessible, challenging, and educational. Its mission is to provide exhibitions and other programs that both reflect and engage the diverse audiences of the entire Contra Costa County region. With 3,500 square feet of exhibition space, Bedford Gallery is the largest municipally operated visual arts facility between the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento.
About Lesher Center for the Arts
Lesher Center for the Arts is the premier arts venue in Central Contra Costa County. Located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, the center offers three separate theatres and Bedford Gallery, a visual arts gallery, presenting the best of theater, ballet, comedy, and visual art.
Contact
artsrec@walnut-creek.org
Bedford Gallery at Lesher Center for the Arts
1601 Civic Drive
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
United States
