Contemporary ceramics made by artists with southern roots will be on display in Sellars Gallery at Brenau University this fall.
The opening reception will take place Sept. 4, and is also the reception for Gestures of Faith, featuring works of the late William J. Thompson, in Sellars Gallery.
“I wanted to feature both of these exhibits at the same time, as they all include sculptures, but Thompson’s work is traditional with bronze sculpted with classic techniques; meanwhile, the sculptures in Southern Clay are contemporary and abstract,” Gallery Director Lybi Cucurullo said. Cucurullo curated both exhibits. “It creates a parallel that is refreshing and thought-provoking that I think our gallery visitors will appreciate.”
The featured artists are Kimberly Riner of Statesboro, Georgia, William Newman-Wise of Asheville, North Carolina, and Ethan Snow of San Diego, California.
“Southern Clay puts an emphasis on the stamina of the ceramic arts. The use of clay is an ancient practice, but the artists focus on modernity and the evolution of the art form. We, as artists, learn and grow when we experiment with technique, and the result is something beautiful and beyond our expectations.”
Riner is an assistant professor of ceramics/3D at Middle Georgia State University. She received her Master of Fine Arts in sculpture, with an emphasis in ceramics, from Georgia Southern University. Riner is also the visual arts director at the Averitt Center for the Arts in Statesboro, Georgia. Riner creates mixed-media ceramic installations that explore death and mortality.
“I reinterpret the vanitas genre, which flourished in the Netherlands during the late 16th and early 17th centuries as a metaphor for the meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient nature of earthly goods,” Riner said in her artist statement. “Vanitas is translated from the Latin word for vanity, and uses symbols associated with death and the futility of earthly pleasures. I want to create 21st century vanitas using classical iconography such as skulls, timepieces, fruit, and flowers.”
Newman-Wise is a full-time artist and recently began teaching collegiate ceramics courses.
He received his MFA from Alfred University and his BA from Whitman College. He has held residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Byrdcliffe Arts Colony in New York, The Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences in Georgia, and The Wassaic Project in New York. He was also a long-term Artist-in-Residence at the Zentrum für Keramik – Berlin.
“A lot of it has to do with the body, and with landscapes, specifically the landscape I am living in in Asheville, which has a lot of opportunities to explore the natural world,” Newman-Wise said. “So that’s where the color palette comes in – there are greens and blues in my work. The shapes take from both the natural world and the natural body, especially limbs and appendages.”
Snow is an interdisciplinary artist and earned his Master of Fine Arts at the University of Georgia. His artistic practice examines emerging spiritual paradigms, focusing on how intangible beliefs become enshrined in tangible artifacts, including technology.
“In contemplating today’s concept of the divine, I turn to digital devices like computers
and smartphones, which occupy a role once reserved for sacred iconography,” Snow said in his artist statement. “Their ubiquity and our near-reverential engagement with them reflect a shift from devotional paintings to constant technological interactions, with each use akin to a prayer.
This new form of worship is largely propelled by influential tech entities such as Google, Meta, and Amazon. Although I don’t personally endorse these visions, he feels compelled to document their emergence and impact.”
Southern Clay is exhibiting alongside Gestures of Faith, featuring works of the late William J. Thompson. Gestures of Faith is on display in Presidents Gallery, and features traditional sculptures in bronze with a classical theme. The opening receptions for both exhibits will occur simultaneously, and visitors are encouraged to enjoy both.
Both events are free and open to the public.
