RoughStuff: A celebration of Wild Surface

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F CAVIN-MORRIS

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G A L L E R Y

NEW YORK, 1 NY

The title, ROUGH STUFF is a deliberately ambiguous play on words. The viewer might immediately expect an exhibition of wood-fired ceramics with great accumulations of ash, imbuing the surfaces with chthonic primordial landscapes. And yes, viewers will find some of that rich technique in this exhibition, but in fact, we had something else in mind.

We live in cynical times. In cynical times the first concept to be sacrificed to the beasts of dogma is most often ‘beauty’ or ‘grace’. To us, beauty makes rough and exquisite demands that the onlookers slow down and, however briefly, give themselves up to its call. Beauty becomes a warrior in a performance reaching back to archaic times.

We want the clay to live in this exhibition. It is common to link sculpted clay to landscape, but landscape is changing all the time right in front of us, especially now.

Landscape is umbilically linked to Place, and the art that Cavin-Morris Gallery shows, from Art Brut to ceramics (sculptural as well as tea and sake), to ethnographic, has always been closely tied to the myriad ideas Place awakens in the artists’ mind. That vision of place runs the gamut from untouched and euphoric to dystopian.

That is what I really mean by ROUGH STUFF: a celebration of wild surface. It is an exploration of the idea that never has earth, air, fire and water been more interactive with our daily lives than now.

Like the tensed horse head in Picasso’s Guernica, our earth in all its beauty and ugliness is screaming to be heard. Through the translations of visionary artists, we can always hear its real voice.

Sculptors who use clay work with the raw essence of the planet that most of us take for granted. We wanted special work for this exhibition, and we found them, created by the remarkable artists we have shown for years, and welcoming some amazing sculptors we felt would augment the vision, and with whom we hope to work with more in the future.

We deliberately chose to emphasize the non-utilitarian aspects of their creations, with very few exceptions. The artists experiment with local clays, they display edgy aesthetics, obsessively working surfaces both in naked clay and glazed, without losing their basic respect for the clay body.

— RANDALL MORRIS, 2019 2

Ashwini Bhat Rebecca Buck Melanie Ferguson Peggy Germain Mitch Iburg Mami Kato Lucien M. Koonce Eva Kwong Sandy Lockwood Kirk Mangus Lesley McInally Freeda Miranda Andy Nasisse Rafa Perez Sarah Purvey Chris Rond Tim Rowan Monique Rutherford Jeff Shapiro Avital Sheffer Eugene Von Bruenchenhein Mike Weber Jane Wheeler 3

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Rafa Perez, Untitled, 2012, Porcelain and Stoneware, fired at 1150 degrees 19.69 x 13.39 x 10.24 inches, 50 x 34 x 26 cm, RPe 25

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Eva Kwong, ARIRI, 2019, Stoneware, colored slips, underglazes, glazes 21 x 14 x 15 inches, 53.3 x 35.6 x 38.1 cm, EKw 2

Eva Kwong, AMALI, 2019, Stoneware, colored slips, underglazes, glazes 21.5 x 11 x 11 inches, 54.6 x 27.9 x 27.9 cm, EKw 1

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Rebecca Buck, Wyvern VIII, 2015, Ceramic 15.35 x 27.95 x 13.39 inches, 39 x 71 x 34 cm, RBk 4

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Lesley McInally, Goodnight Noises Everywhere, 2015, Porcelain and stoneware coil vessel 17 x 18 x 8 inches, 43.2 x 45.7 x 20.3 cm, LMc 1

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Jane Wheeler, Black Ice Flagon, 2013, Stoneware clay with chun glaze, slab built 14.75 x 9.45 x 6.5 inches, 37.5 x 24 x 16.5 cm, JWh 3

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Ashwini Bhat, Garden of Earthy Delights, 2019, Fired clay with feldspar and natural ash 4.5 x 5.5 x 5 inches, 11.4 x 14 x 12.7 cm, ABh 1

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Ashwini Bhat, Alive Series, 2019, Fired and painted clay with glaze 6.5 x 9 x 6 inches, 16.5 x 22.9 x 15.2 cm, ABh 6

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Ashwini Bhat, Origin of Species, 2019, Fired and painted clay with natural ash 22 x 12 x 7 inches, 55.9 x 30.5 x 17.8 cm, ABh 5

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Ashwini Bhat, Beginning is the End, 2019, Fired and painted clay, with glass and garnet media and glaze 7 x 7.5 x 4.5 inches, 17.8 x 19.1 x 11.4 cm, ABh 4

Ashwini Bhat, Beginning is the End, 2019, Fired clay, with glass and garnet media and underglaze 8 x 3 x 7.5 inches, 20.3 x 7.6 x 19.1 cm, ABh 3

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Ashwini Bhat, Garden of Earthy Delights, 2019, Fired clay with granite and mud dauber nest and natural ash 6.5 x 6 x 4 inches, 16.5 x 15.2 x 10.2 cm, ABh 2

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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled (crown), 1950-1980, Hand dug clay and paint 4.5 x 8 x 7 inches, 11.4 x 20.3 x 17.8 cm, EV 45

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Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, 1960-1980, Hand dug clay and paint 7 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches, 17.8 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm, EV 47

Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, 1960-1980, Hand dug clay and paint 10 x 5 x 5 inches, 25.4 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm, EV 46

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Freeda Miranda, Organic 1, 2017, Ceramic 3.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inches, 8.9 x 14 x 14 cm, FMi 3

Freeda Miranda, Organic 2, 2018, Ceramic 4 x 5 x 5 inches, 10.2 x 12.7 x 12.7 cm, FMi 2

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Andy Nasisse, Tantra Terra, 2017, Ceramic, multi-fired with overglaze 24 x 16 x 3 inches, 61 x 40.6 x 7.6 cm, ANa 4

Andy Nasisse, Red Head, 2017, Ceramic, multi-fired with overglaze 22 x 22 x 3.5 inches, 55.9 x 55.9 x 8.9 cm, ANa 5

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Andy Nasisse, Dark Matter, 2017, Ceramic, multi-fired with overglaze 19.75 x 21.5 x 3 inches, 50.2 x 54.6 x 7.6 cm, ANa 2

Andy Nasisse, Ear Wig, 2016, Ceramic, multi-fired with overglaze 17 x 16 x 3 inches, 43.2 x 40.6 x 7.6 cm, ANa 10

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Jeff Shapiro, Shield Series, 2012, Woodfired Ceramic 20 x 13.5 x 8 inches, 50.8 x 34.3 x 20.3 cm, JSh 42

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Avital Sheffer, Inannah V, 2009, Handbuilt earthenware 26.77 x 12.99 x 7.09 inches, 68 x 33 x 18 cm, ASh 2

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Mami Kato, Tsuchi zaiku, 2018, Ceramic 9.5 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches, 24.1 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm, MmK 15

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Mami Kato, Tsuchi zaiku, 2018, Ceramic 8 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches, 20.3 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm, MmK 12

Mami Kato, Tsuchi zaiku, 2018, Ceramic 7 x 4.5 x 4.5 inches, 17.8 x 11.4 x 11.4 cm, MmK 13

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Lucien M. Koonce, Tri-Footed Hanaire, 2017, Hand formed stoneware clay and natural ash glaze; wood fired (anagama side stoke area) for five days to c/12 8.25 x 4 x 4.5 inches, 21 x 10.2 x 11.4 cm, LKo 8

Lucien M. Koonce, Hanaire, 2018, Hand-formed stoneware clay (with native North Carolina clay) and natural ash glaze; wood fired (anagama side stoke area) for five days to c/12 9 x 4 x 4 inches, 22.9 x 10.2 x 10.2 cm, LKo 9

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Kirk Mangus, 2 Skulls, 1993 Local stoneware, paddled with artist's own carved wooden paddles, wood-fired 7 x 7 x 7 inches, 17.8 x 17.8 x 17.8 cm, KMg 3

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Kirk Mangus, Aurum, 1984, Stoneware, colored slips, salt glazed 17 x 7.5 x 7.5 inches, 43.2 x 19.1 x 19.1 cm, KMg 5

Kirk Mangus, Swirling, 1984, Stoneware, colored slips, salt glazed 15.5 x 7 x 7 inches, 39.4 x 17.8 x 17.8 cm, KMg 6

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Kirk Mangus, Looking, 1982, Stoneware, gooey glaze 15 x 10.5 x 10.5 inches, 38.1 x 26.7 x 26.7 cm, KMg 7

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Kirk Mangus, 2 Warriors, 1993 Local stoneware, paddled with artist's own carved wooden paddles, wood-fired 8.75 x 8 x 7.5 inches, 22.2 x 20.3 x 19.1 cm, KMg 4

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Kirk Mangus, 3 Flying Houses Ziggurat, 1982, Stoneware, white tapies glaze (inspired by Antoni Tapies) 12.5 x 7 x 7 inches, 31.8 x 17.8 x 17.8 cm, KMg 1

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Chris Rond, Fusion 1, 2018, Ceramic 5 x 3.5 x 3 inches, 12.7 x 8.9 x 7.6 cm, CRo 2

Chris Rond, Fusion 2, 2018, Ceramic 3 x 6 x 5 inches, 7.6 x 15.2 x 12.7 cm, CRo 5

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Peggy Germain, Grande jarre, 2018, Ceramic 11 x 11 x 8 inches, 27.9 x 27.9 x 20.3 cm, PGe 1

Peggy Germain, Petit jarre, 2018, Ceramic 3.5 x 4.5 x 8.5 inches, 8.9 x 11.4 x 21.6 cm, PGe 2

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Tim Rowan, Untitled, 2019, Stoneware 10 x 21 x 9 inches, 25.4 x 53.3 x 22.9 cm, TR 166

Tim Rowan, Untitled, 2019, Stoneware 8.5 x 17 x 8 inches, 21.6 x 43.2 x 20.3 cm, TR 165

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Melanie Ferguson, Resurrecting Fragments, 2013 Hand built stoneware, flashing slip, kohiki slip, oxide stains, sgraffito, gas fired in soda 13 x 10.5 x 9 inches, 33 x 26.7 x 22.9 cm, MFe 45

Melanie Ferguson, Circles In The Sand, 2014 Handbuilt stoneware, sgraffito, flashing slips, oxide stains, celedon liner. Soda fired, heavy reduction 11 x 12.5 x 10 inches, 27.9 x 31.8 x 25.4 cm, MFe 25

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Monique Rutherford, Untitled, 2017, Wood fired ceramic 10 x 5 x 3.5 inches, 25.4 x 12.7 x 8.9 cm, MRu 14

Monique Rutherford, Untitled, 2017, Wood fired ceramic 12 x 3.5 x 4.5 inches, 30.5 x 8.9 x 11.4 cm, MRu 11

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Monique Rutherford, Untitled, 2017, Wood fired ceramic with carbon trap shino 9.25 x 7 x 6 inches, 23.5 x 17.8 x 15.2 cm, MRu 12

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Mitch Iburg, Fond du Lac Formation 1, 2018, Sandstone fragments, glacial clay, dolomite, limonite 9 x 19 x 12 inches, 22.9 x 48.3 x 30.5 cm, Mib 30

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Sandy Lockwood, Subduction Series, 2016-2019, Stoneware and inclusions 7 x 7 x 6.5 inches, 17.8 x 17.8 x 16.5 cm, SaL 24

Sandy Lockwood, Fish Box Series, 2016-2019, Stoneware and inclusions 8.5 x 6.25 x 6 inches, 21.6 x 15.9 x 15.2 cm, SaL 27

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Sandy Lockwood, Gleaning Series, 2016-2019, Stoneware and inclusions 12 x 12 x 3 inches, 30.5 x 30.5 x 7.6 cm, SaL 25

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Mike Weber, Tsubo, 2018, Wood-fired stoneware 17 x 15 x 15 inches, 43.2 x 38.1 x 38.1 cm, MWe 31

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Mike Weber, Trinity, 2018, Wood-fired porcelain 17 x 11 x 2.5 inches, 43.2 x 27.9 x 6.4 cm, MWe 30

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Sarah Purvey, Rhythm - Landscape Series, 2012, Ceramic 23.62 x 16.93 x 11.42 inches, 60 x 43 x 29 cm, SPu 4

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Copyright © 2019 CAVIN-MORRIS GALLERY Cavin-Morris Gallery 210 Eleventh Ave, Ste. 201 New York, NY 10001 t. 212 226 3768 www.cavinmorris.com Catalog design: Sophie Friedman-Pappas Photography: Jurate Veceraite Text contributed by Randall Morris 79

CAVIN-MORRIS GALLERY NEW YORK, NEW YORK

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