Niel Hora and Garret Pendergrass at JFH Studio

I have such romantic notions of craft and people who make functional things. I admire functional things, they surround my life. Yet, I don't trend toward making traditionally useful things myself. Even when my own work begins as a functional form, I can't help putting a craggy surface on it. My sweet Michael always gets on to me for this, but I just gotta be me I guess. It's been great to showcase the work of sculptural, contemporary ceramic work at JFH Studio and I hope to keep doing so as long as I have the space. If anyone out there has suggestions I'll gladly take them, still quality functional work is the comfort food of clay.
Niel's Hollow Rimmed Square Bowl, now part of the Krueger Pottery CollectionGarret's Crown Treasure Box, now part of the Gaye Ann Hutton Collection.

Niel Hora and Garret Pendergrass do that straddle thing so well betwixt and between art and craft and never seem to lose their personal vision. Niel's work is without a doubt functional, but the surface patterns and the form are steeped in formalism. Garret's work starts at the edge of the functional cliff and takes a leap off into the joy of form and material. JFH Studios second Art Dinner was a great success, we upped the invitation list because the East Central College Students were so into the demo and lecture during the day.

We discussed the work cycle of an artist. The development of form. Finding the "answer" in the "work". Layers of content. The ever twirling cycle of chasing economy in the effort takes to create, not to mention the economics of trying to survived on your ceramic work alone. We definitely discussed the Mud Pie Dilemma, John Nance's interview with Tom Coleman. We also covered what was the best recipe for potato salad and wether or not pineapple upside down cake has to look good to taste good. We discussed networking, the rise of "research-based art" and what that means, doesn't everyone research? Compared and contrasted research-based, supported with objects vs. object-based, supported with research. So much more, and managed to make a few sales for Niel and Garret.

East Central College Workshop

Niel Hora and Garret Pendergrass at East Central College working with the SP09 Ceramics I students. Niel gave a great lecture on line, space, repetition within a form and surface design. It was pitch perfect for beginning art students to hear a professional maker discuss how the elements of design anchor their work. We LOVE it when company comes in and pounds on the same drum we've been banging at all year long.


As it is near the end of another academic year, Niel's theory on preparing for a show being very similar to the Doppler Effect was humorous, familiar and comforting to everyone who heard it. Our other conclusion was that all artists are simply closet manic-depressives, using our work to manage the ailment. We (all makers) start with a plan which seems reasonable as we target an exhibition date. The closer the exhibition date, the more intense studio/life/work seems to get until it feels like utter chaos moments before and then it's SHOWTIME, after which there is a sudden drop and stillness, until things begin again. Niel illustrated this in his lecture with a handy, dandy laser pointer and we made him do it again and again.
Here's the thing both Niel and Garret really talked about that is good for every maker to hear. Kindness in your interactions with everyone. You treat people how you want to be treated and you never know when you are going to be able to help someone. Conversely, you never know when you are going to need help. Regardless of how out of reach a mentor might seem, you've got nothing to lose in reaching out. When Garret was a grad student at the University of North Texas, he was focused on building kilns, big belching wood-firing kilns. He realized when he graduated he wouldn't be able to have such a kiln in a suburb. In his crisis he sent out a mass email asking some relevant questions, looking for input. Three people replied, Linda Arbuckle, Niel Hora and the recently passed,Matthias Ostermann. His inquiries led him to the work he is now making and I hope the story impacted my students. It certainly was a refreshing reminder for me. How many times do we tell ourselves no, before we even know if there is a yes answer. It might be a device protecting us from rejection, but nothing ventured nothing gained.

Another opportunity to model the art life come with Garret's personal story. He was a graphic designer as an undergrad and has that all-too-familiar story of one ceramic class and the hook was sunk. He had several years between undergrad and grad school, and he was always making and always asking questions. He is the poster boy for persistence, seriously. He started visiting the UNT Ceramic department, asking questions and persisting until he found himself a place in the department. He found he wasn't really fond of teaching, didn't care for all of the heartbreak. He was inspired by a lecture from Don Reitz about recognizing your passion and following it. After grad school he was a roughneck, worked two weeks on and two weeks off. It was good pay and allowed him to build his own studio. After some harrowing events and after the studio was built, he decided to find a less "adventurous" day job and is now a banker. He was asked if he knew anything about banking. The reply, "No, but I know people." Y'know, it's the truth. He is now getting promoted at the bank and still making his work in his home studio. He has exhibited his work in the past by driving around Ft. Worth, TX visiting galleries and asking to utilize the dead time between exhibitions. He just never takes NO, from a person who can't tell him yes.

Third in the Krueger Pottery Workshop Series. Niel Hora and Garret Pendergrass. Throughout the day 22 people came through to watch and learn. This is a shot of Krueger's new workshop space, Ryan and Aimee were hustling to get it ready and they are putting on the finishing touches now.

Niel throwing a handle off the hump, there were several discussions over the course of the week about economy of effort. Throwing off the hump can certainly be a time saver, but the conclusion was: no matter where you think you trim labor it always seems to pop up somewhere else in the process.

Niel Hora's laborious attention to detail is always worth it in the final product, here he demonstrates cutting darts or "How to make a round thing square"

Garret talks about individualized touches on repetitive forms. A lagniappe for each user.

LIVE: Interaction with working artists. Garret discusses form.

This is Ryan Clyde-Rich of Krueger Pottery in Webster Groves. I'll have to get a picture of his wife and partner Aimee on another trip, as she was recovering from dental surgery. Two of the most energetic folks I know. They have taken over Krueger Pottery from founder Dennis Krueger and as of last summer are the only clay supplier in the St. Louis area. They annually host a Regional High School Exhibition in their front gallery and below are a few featured works. They have an open studio, classes and are building a workshop series. They just took on a new space on their block to host workshops and demos. I'm hoping eventually they will take over the entire block!

"Need"
Annie Ferris
Althoff Catholic High School























"Breaking News: Smoking"
Sam Theis
Washington High School






















"In Construction" & "Adele"
Kahlil Irving
Metro Classical and Academic High School
















"Bread Dish"
William Chae
Chaminade College Preparatory

ALEX KRAFT, the nicest Kraft in the business!

mantis mlodis

(From Alex Kraft's Glossary, mantis: map a representation in scale and surface and mlodis: project determination toward a completion)

Each plaque $385
Each flower $35
Entire Installation $2770

www.alexkraftart.com

From Alex Kraft's artist statement,

"I see the internal structure of the body as being comprised of two main aspects. These are the physical internal and the sacred internal. The first is that which is material: muscles, bones, organs, etc. These are visualized from macro organ level to micro cellular level. The second is that which is the intangible essence: emotion, intellect, intuition, instinct, etc. The sacred internal and the physical internal comprise the same energy. It is as possible to feel emotion physically as it is to have physical acts cause emotion."

So many things I want to tell you about this work and our experience with it here at JFH Studio. But first, I want to tell you about meeting Alex Kraft at Arrowmont in 2007 when she was in residence and assisting the Richard Burkett workshop. Anyone who has been on Scholarship, Work Study or acted as an Assistant at a workshop knows the potential pitfalls which are part and parcel of the overall rewarding experience. The regular "paying" customers--not all, not a blanket accusation here, but there does always seem to be one-- who will hang their hat on having someone to blame if their glaze runs, or comes out too shiny or if there is a crack in the work, etc. Y'know things happen and you should know if you're the assistant you're going to be a potential target. Alex Kraft is a kind, focused, interested, curious, generous individual and you can tell it upon meeting her in a matter of minutes, but I was really impressed with the way she handled disgruntled people and stressful situations. Nothing really earth-shattering happened, but the lady exudes grace and truly seemed unflappable and sympathetic. I admired her character. So it is really an honor to be able to show her efforts in our little space.

We changed our format for Alex's display and it was such a success I think we'll stick with it. Instead of hosting an opening we decided to go with an intimate dinner party, allowing the guests and hosts to focus on discussing the work and making art. Our table comfortably holds six, so Michael and I moved it up into the display area of our studio, right in front of the picture window where we could observe "mantis mlodis" while we ate from our table of tapas. We invited two local artists and two students. We all read the artist statement and looked over the glossary, discussing presentation, interpretation, craft, DIY, what does "lifeform" mean.

Alex's glossary was a sticking point for some and an entry point for others. It seemed to have the potential to elevate the work to an elitist plane, "You couldn't possibly understand the work, but I'll give you the key." The inverse is also true. Most abstract art is abstracted to a point where the audience can only confidently process formal qualities in the work. Any interpretation of meaning is left up to the viewer to read the statement, rely on their intuition or historical/contemporary background in art. With the glossary, Alex does offer a deeper poetry to already richly layered surfaces and materials. She does require her viewer to have the patience to want to understand and she rewards the patience and curiosity with pointed data.

Let's talk about surfaces and materials. As I was unpacking "mantis mlodis" I was so intrigued by the surfaces, and the hip late 60s color palette. Each island of the map is an organic wooden form surfaced with an orange fabric which has a golden serged edge. The orange is layered with printed pattern creating a topographical texture simultaneously providing a ground for a knitted landmass of rich green wool. The minute the objects were laid out on the studio floor I was put in an aerial view position which I couldn't shake even when the work was on the wall. The focal point of every island is a dark chocolate growth of hard, groggy clay.

Words: bloom, grow, morph, phallic, protusion, reaching, mouth

All these words flood the mind, and tiny clay flowers dance around the entire map, bring the viewer in and out of the environment. How does life spring forth from an environtment. Obviously we had a hard time diverting our attention away from the idea that these objects referenced land, but we also had a difficult time tying the work directly to the statement at the top of the entry. We were being very limited in our interpretation of "lifeform", and spent 20-30 minutes trying to fit a square peg into a really big hole. This led us away from the bounty of our dinner table and over to the internet to look at WWW.ALEXKRAFTART.COM where we were amazed, attracted and repelled. One of my students said, "I want to be in a room full of these objects, but I can't look at them." It seemed, even with a digitally translated image, the lifeforms were indeed invoking a physical response tied to an emotion.

CONT.

WARNING: Download your images as soon as possible from your digital camera, or be a dope like me and lose the pictures you took. Thankfully Alex sent me images of her work so I would know how to install it.

Do visit her web page and see all of her lifeforms, environments and see where you can catch a view of her work in person!

WWW.ALEXKRAFTART.COM