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shows and exhibitions
japanesethreads
March 7 - April 28, 2008
Opening Reception: March 7, 2008 5:30-9
On Friday March 7 5:30-9 japanesethreads
opens at morgan contemporary glass gallery. Also FirstFriday ArtWalk,
several other galleries will also open ceramic exhibitions curated for
the NCECA conference supporting Ceramix Pittsburgh. The gallery's first
ceramic show, has been curated by gallery director Amy Morgan and Pittsburgh
artist Ceil Sturdevant. The show will coincide with the NCECA conference
in Pittsburgh March 19 - 22.
The show highlights work from many internationally renowned artists, all
of whom share ties to Japan by study, culture, or history. They include:
Bob Barry, Roger Baumann, Liz Biddle, Judith Duff, Yuichi Hirano, Pittsburgher
Dale Huffman, Jeff Jewell, Mami Kato, Pittsburgher Kathy Koop, Mika Negishi
Laidlaw, Jim Makins, T. Robert, Tim Rowan, Peter Seabridge, Jeff Shapiro,
Paul Soldner, Pittsburgher Ceil Sturdevant, Kyouji Suigei, Steve Tobin,
Jack Troy, Seinko Yamamoto, and Pittsburgher Cynthia Young.
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March 19 9-6 NCECA Bus
Tour will stop at the gallery throughout the day.
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March 20 5-8pm A special
meet & greet artist's reception will be held at the gallery.
Many of the shows' artists will be in attendance.
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March 21-22 Extended hours.
Call for more information 412 441 5200 or email morglass@sgi.net
The gallery is located in Shadyside at 5833 Ellsworth Avenue Pittsburgh,
PA 15232.
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April 4 5:30 - 9pm FirstFriday
ArtWalk
The common threads which ties these artists to Japan's
ceramic culture are varied, but they share the Japanese aesthetic, which
celebrates the beauty of imperfection, the elegance of simplicity, and
the essence of the nature of clay. Over half of the artists have studied
at Tokoname, a Japanese city and school of ceramics world-renowned for
its history and preservation of traditional ceramic techniques. Tokoname
began as a producer of industrial ceramics, but soon blossomed into an
international ceramic hub, attracting artists from all corners of the
globe. Currently, Tokoname hosts workshops and study programs which allow
artists to become immersed in the culture and environment of Japan.
Some artists have taken a contemporary approach to Japanese-style ceramics,
while still incorporating traditional Japanese themes of nature, pattern
and stillness. For example. Mika Negishi Laidlaw's refined sculptures
possess a stillness and refined narrative that speaks to universal themes
of mothering and birth. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Roger Baumann
envelops moss and other plants in vessels that seem to mimic the very
earth in which they grew.
Paul Soldner, frequently called the Father of American Raku, creates wheel-
thrown and altered forms. "In the spirit of rakuness, make no demands,
expect nothing, follow no absolute plan, be secure in change. Learn to
accept another solution, and prefer to gamble on intuition." Soldner,
who's work has inspired ceramicists around the world, embraces this philosophy
through the distinct forms of his works and acceptance of the spirit of
the medium.
Steve Tobin, known for his glass and bronze sculpture, makes his gallery
debut with a body of exploded clay vessels with glass interiors as part
of his "exploded earth series exemplifying the spontaneity which
embodies a new approach to the Zen-like acceptance of a passing gesture.
"I am trying to translate, capture and document an explosion into
form, texture and color. I am also deconstructing a geometric form towards
chaos. The piece is a document of this process." These vivid and
mesmerizing works combine traditional Japanese ceramic teachings and contemporary
ideas.
morgan contemporary glass gallery features sculpture, small objects and
jewelry by established and emerging artists working with glass. Hours
are Tues. - Fri. 11 - 5 and Sat. 12 - 5, or by app't. Call 412-441-5200
for more information. Visit our website at www.morganglassgallery.com.
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