Converging Terrains by Verus Design

C o nverg i n g Ter r a i n s

S TE V E N B R A N F MA N / PAT R IC IA GER KIN 1

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CONVERGING TERRAINS Work by Steven Branfman and Patricia Gerkin G O R S E M I L L G A L L E RY In Memory of Jared Michael Branfman

June 1-July 26, 2019 31 Thorpe Road, Needham Massachusetts 02494

“IF I CREATE FROM THE HEART, NEARLY EVERYTHING WORKS: IF FROM THE HEAD, ALMOST NOTHING.” ~ MARC CHAGALL

Introduction My job at the Art Complex Museum is to assemble exhibitions. This involves looking at a great deal of work from either an artist or a group of artists and choosing things that work together in a way where one plus one equals something a little more than two. I have been familiar with both Pat Gerkin and Steven Branfman’s work for quite some time. I did not however, pair them up for this exhibition. They did that—and it’s an inspired pairing. The artists, who did not know each other previously, connected when Gerkin exhibited as part of a three person show at Thayer Academy Gallery where Branfman has taught for 41 years. They saw immediately the connections in their work. I like the way both artists work their materials. I like the awareness they both have of the history of their materials and techniques. I like that if you saw a Steven Branfman vessel or a piece by Pat Gerkin out of context you would still know it was theirs. Their work is identifiable, because they have spent enough time to make it their own. But most of all, I just like the way their work looks, the textures, the colors, the depth— what Pat calls the topography. I like the weight of it. I like that when you put their work together, one plus one equals something well more than two. Craig Bloodgood Contemporary Curator The Art Complex Museum Duxbury, Massachusetts

Steven Branfman / Patricia Gerkin — on “Converging Terrains” We are two artists who are simpatico in several important ways: our art works are visually related, our love of art and of creating art and our emotional attachment to the natural world makes us collaborators. We both work with elements of the earth and its inhabitants, and we are inspired by the natural world: rockfaces, lichen, the sea, landscapes, moss, coral, surf, stratifications, ecology, geology, and more. Steven My works are at one with the clay that comes directly from the earth, and I am the ceramicist who is shaping it and imbuing it with my passion and my desire to make the medium sing. I have been involved with clay full time since 1975, creating pots, teaching, writing, and operating my own studio. My work derives from a tradition of functional vessels. My choice of shapes and the wheel-throwing methods I use comes from the concept that pottery forms have a volume and an inward pressure that defines the shape. Pots are formed from the inside out and the bottom up with the interior negative space defining the outward appearance. My surfaces further help to define the shape with textures that expand and grow with the shape during the forming process. I see the surface of my pots as a skin that defines and communicates what is underneath. I work and teach from my studio, The Potters Shop & School, in Needham, MA, and I teach at Thayer Academy in Braintree, MA. I have been blessed to have my work as a potter, teacher, writer, and artist known internationally. I have written four widely distributed books on using various techniques with ceramics. My work has been exhibited widely in museums, galleries, and public spaces. It is also in many public and private collections, museums, corporations in the US and internationally.

Patricia I have something to say to the world. Painting is how I say it. In this exhibit, I use encaustic (molten wax) to make my mark on the art world. My process is intuitive, my forms and lines are organic, and my surfaces are deeply textured as if hiding a mystery. There is something satisfying about recognizing the parallels between the cycles of the natural world and the life cycles inherent in humankind. A dying flower reminds us of the impermanence of beauty. The stratification of a rock or a mountain bares the history revealed in the layers of climate and environments imprinted on it. I am deeply concerned for the health of our planet and our role in maintaining its sustainability. I hope my art will remind viewers that we are all stewards of the Earth and that we are facing vanishing species, microplastics in our oceans, and the collapse of our bee colonies—all contributing to a diminishing ability to maintain a healthy food and water ecosystem. I am acutely aware that my medium derives from the normal activity of healthy bees, which are in danger of worldwide collapse because of our current pesticide use, so sustainable practices are uppermost in my mind as I work and think about my part in restoring a healthy environment. I work from my home studio in Greenland, NH, and I am represented by various regional galleries. I have exhibited widely in galleries and museums in the US. My work is in many public and private collections in US, Europe, and South America. In “Converging Terrains” we have found converging inspirations, patterns, and images that repeat from vessels to paintings to wall-pieces to sculptural boxes in a fluid communication between mediums and between artists.

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There is something about an abstract painting that appeals to the viewer that is hard to define. Like a song, a painting presents a soulful blend of elements that appeal to the viewer and are often difficult to describe. Much like music, it evokes an emotional response. In the case of music, it could be the melody, tempo or lyrics, or lack thereof, or a myriad of effects in combination, to make something special. In the case of a painting it could be the interplay of color, pattern and texture, or the overall composition of the piece. Pat Gerkin’s artwork, which conveys all of these elements, has always appealed to me for a number of reasons. I am immediately drawn in by the texture of the encaustic medium, which Pat has mastered. That, combined with complementary colors and patterns, creates works that are appealing at first glance but also keep the viewer’s attention as they explore the artwork more closely. The thoughtful interplay of flowing patterns and lack of structure creates a composition that is layered, dimensional and captivating. I am always impressed by Pat’s ability to create a diverse body of work that is never stagnant or repetitive. There is an element of surprise in her work shown through her use of vibrant color and bold graphic images. Pat tends to create multiple pieces intended to hang together or in a series that tell a visual story to great effect. Pat is clearly inspired by elements of nature in some of her work. While it is still defined as abstract, she draws on something as familiar as fallen leaves, working off of the spine of the leaf and colors. They provide the focus and subject in this body of her work, alluding to the shape of the leaves, layering them and weaving different colors and shapes into the composition. At the same time, she plays with the light, using metallic and shiny elements in the paintings to portray the array of color that appears in nature. Each series is a harmony of colors embedded in textured layers that subtly draw the viewer in. It is clear that there is always a thoughtful composition and construction to her work, which is very satisfying. Pat’s paintings are thoughtfully created with a combination of intuitive talent and a heart-felt honest approach. In my many years of selling art, I’ve found that a collector never tires of a piece that has a soulful quality. Like a well-composed melody they resonate and elevate us. As the gallery owner, I have thoroughly enjoyed representing Pat’s work and the added pleasure of the collectors’ appreciation and delight. Lawrence Powers Owner, Powers Gallery

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In 2019, when you think of contemporary artists who practice the American Raku firing process, only one name immediately comes to mind: Steven Branfman. Steven ‘wrote the book’ on this subject, figuratively as well as literally. Actually, he wrote three books on it. He also travels the world giving educational workshops about the process that he loves. He is the reigning American Raku expert in the Western ceramics field. Psychologist Anders Ericsson and author Malcolm Gladwell speak about how those that are World-Class in their fields, no matter the area of endeavor, will have put in at least 10,000 hours of deliberative practice in the pursuit of mastering their craft. Steven’s undergraduate studies at Cortland State University under John Jessiman, and his Master’s degree earned at Rhode Island School of Design studying with Norm Schulman and Jun Kaneko set the foundation for the massive amounts of deliberative work that has come after. Those 10,000 hours, and more, are clearly evident in this exhibition produced by this late-career ceramic artist. Steven has devoted his entire life to exploring and mastering his difficult-to-master media. He has mastered it, and he truly is World-Class. Steven’s forms are powerful pure visual objects, yet in remaining as obvious vessel forms, are linked to thousands of years of traditional ceramic history and countless generations of ceramicists all over the world. While the roots of the Raku process are clearly Japanese, Steven’s approach has taken that core process a long way away from the wabi-sabi teabowls produced by Tanaka Chojiro in the 16th Century. Even when making the Chawan that he occasionally does, Steven’s teabowls are clearly contemporary interpretations of form and surface originating from this day and age, not re-hashes of the past. In making pottery forms the Japanese often speak about how if you make the inside, the outside will take care of itself. Steven has taken this concept to heart. His bottle and vase forms are voluminous and all about what could be contained within. The appearance of them is that the insides are bigger than the outsides. This creates an illusion and feeling of lightness in what is an inherently heavy media. Stark black. It is arresting. It grabs your attention. It draws you in. Steven plays that visual note like Yo-Yo Ma plays the cello. That Steven typically leaves a good portion of the clay on his forms totally unglazed, and allows the deep soft matte black of the American Raku smoking process to dominate those areas, shows a boldness of approach and a clear understanding of color theory and human perception. He frequently combines this methodology with the added impacts of scale. Many of his works are large. When they are not that, they move to the intimate. When these two approaches are combined, first glances at the pieces are arresting. They will pull you across a room.

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Frequently, his color choices of glaze also do not fit the typical approach one expects when viewing contemporary American Raku works. We don’t typically find flashy copper lusters or interference blood reds in Steven’s work. His glazes also certainly do not fit the subdued dull orange-red or quiet black of the Japanese antecedents, aka and kuro Raku. Instead we find soft spring-like flowery semi-gloss pastels, mossgreens, soft browns, rust reds, creamy whites, and the like. They mingle with limited pops of primary reds and yellows and blues. Crawled and matte glaze sits next to small areas of runny and glossy glass. All this set against the strong matte black areas of the form that provide contrast and an anchor to the visual movement created by the carefully considered but casual appearing applied areas of glazes. Then there are the textures. Developed through both glaze quality and roughened clay surfaces, the central areas of the forms are frequently exhibiting what might be considered in some pottery settings as flaws. There is an aspect of stark ceramic materiality in the visual and physical texture in the middle sections of many forms that is in contrast to the smooth, controlled throwing of the black upper and lower areas. These textural areas are about serendipity and letting go. They evoke landscape, weathered wood and metal, the erosion of geologic time, age, and entropy. They allude back to the wabi-sabi roots of the Raku process from so long ago. Comfortable in their existence. Bold, but not obnoxious. Colorful, but not too colorful. Controlled, but a little loose. Having a dark side and a light side. Solid, but having been beat up a bit. These phrases can describe not only Steven’s claywork, but aspects of Steven himself. These are complex and sophisticated works to live with over time, and explore with both the eye and the hand. Their vitality and fullness is not taken in quickly. I would be remiss writing this if I also did not mention Steven’s other very important works that are not evident in this show: his students. Steven has had an amazing impact on his countless high school students at Thayer Academy over the many years he has taught there. On occasions visiting there, I have seen the love they have for him, and the kind of work that he has elicited from them. I’ve heard incredibly insightful comments from them about art. Not only a master ceramic artist, Steven is a caring and highly effective teacher. What he gives his students goes far beyond the art studio. He gives them tools to take with them into their developing lives. From the work you see here in this exhibition, to the students that make their way out into the world, to the workshop participants he teaches about Raku, to his astounding leadership of Team Kermit in the Pan Mass Challenge, Steven Branfman is about caring and passion for all that he undertakes. He is a ‘force of nature’. John Baymore Professor of Ceramics New Hampshire Institute of Art

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Steven Branfman Art has always been a part of my life. My mother was a graduate of The Julliard School studying piano, bassoon, and spent some time drawing. Her grandfather, a Russian immigrant who lived with us when I was a child, was a tailor and maker of fine clothing. My Great Uncle, also from Russia and with whom I was very close, painted landscapes while he made his living as a house painter. My uncle was a talented painter and musician. My parents saw the value in art and took my siblings and me to museums, concerts, Broadway plays, and to our chagrin forced us to take music lessons. Clay entered my life as a random encounter in 1971. John Jessiman, my teacher, mesmerized me with his fluidity and ease with clay. After seeing him throw I decided I wanted to be a potter. At Rhode Island School Of Design, Norm Schulman was unforgiving, rigid, and set in his ways. I learned a lot from Norm and the whole scene there. The year spent at RISD was the most influential experience in my decision to work with clay. Technique From my earliest introduction to clay I have always been fascinated and excited about the wheel; the speed, fluidity, and in particular, the sense of growth I observe and control during the process. My work is about vessels and the characteristics that make the vessel come alive: volume, texture, color, and scale. The Raku process, method, and culture envelopes me and fuels my creative language. It is deeply rooted in tradition. And while I approach it with the utmost respect for its origins, its contemporary incarnation is very different. I can work simultaneously in a traditional method where all the rules have been established, and a contemporary technique where the rules are constantly in question. Raku firing is fast by its design and spontaneous by my nature. There is a lot of chaotic appearing activity for a very short time requiring exacting cooperation between myself, my equipment, my assistants, and the fire, and the success of the work depends on my ability to command and predict the variables of material and fire. Motivations and Inspirations My work comes from a tradition of functional vessels. When I began my education I was drawn to the concept of pottery being both utilitarian AND sculptural/ decorative and I made purely functional pots: bowls, plates, cups, teapots, pitchers, etc. As my work and career matured I drifted from functional work and concentrated on decorative pots though always maintaining my commitment to the functional object and the vessel form. I am motivated by the need to express myself and communicate through my work. Clay is a language as sure as any spoken or written word. I speak the language of clay and Raku is my dialect. Vessels have a volume and an inward pressure that defines the shape. Pots are formed from the inside out and the bottom up with the interior negative space defining the outward appearance. I see the surface of my pots as a skin that defines and communicates the volume and presence of what is underneath. My surfaces define the shape with textures that expand and grow during the forming process.

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I am influenced by the visual quality of the landscape, rock faces, cracks in the sidewalk, tree bark, colors of the earth and sand, moss, river beds, waterfalls, sunsets, the undulating path of a mountain range. I am influenced by the tactile nature of the air and natural and man-made surfaces. I am influenced by the smells and tastes of the cuisine that we welcome. I am inspired by the connection that my son and I had through our common bond of this earth bound, plastic, expressive material that is so often underfoot and that so many people take for granted. I am inspired by the ability to speak through the language of clay that Jared and I naturally and fluently shared with each other. An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work must create a dialogue and speak to the viewer. An artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work must be honest and must come from within the artist. There is no art without emotion, without dedication, without passion. My most successful work is that which I feel the most intimate with from the initial idea to the completion of the piece.

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Patricia Gerkin: An Interrupted Journey We all feel like we were artists forever, even as children, but I have the sense that my journey as an artist was somehow interrupted by good intentions. And perhaps the good intentions were the best option after all...who’s to say? Growing up I was always known as “the artist” in every environment I inhabited, until I encountered achievement or placement tests in junior high school. At that point, I was identified as being “good in English” and tracked to be an “English teacher.” Not a bad pathway, actually, because English was one of my strengths. No one ever tested me for art or creative pursuits, and that was ok too, because there were no art departments in either the elementary, junior high, or high school. So, no pathway. Having grown up in a small coal-town in WV, there was no access to museums, libraries, or other cultural institutions that we normally associate with artists or creative types. One wonders how this transformation ever happened at all. I didn’t teach English. I had a career in editing and publications management. When I moved to the DC area, I was awakened to world-class museums, concert halls, theatres, and libraries. I was also thrown into a wonderful array of classes, workshops, and art centers where I could pursue my passion, which naturally moved back into the fore. At the suggestion of my husband, who recognized my creative bent and supported my artistic efforts, I literally consumed all the studio classes I could enroll in at community colleges, art centers, and the Corcoran School of Art & Design. All that happened on the side as I worked through my career. My career helped boost my family income and paid for the tuition for my two sons through private schools and college. You might say that I stood in the shadow of my dream for many years as I did what needed to be done for my family and my career. Then, when I paid the last payment for my youngest son’s college tuition, I proclaimed the end. “That’s it!”, I said. “I am finished with work, I am turning myself to art full-time.” And I quit my job. I went down to the Torpedo Factory to get a little part-time job to pay for my canvas, paints and brushes, at The Art League. And, I began to enter juried shows there and work feverishly on my art. The little part-time job quickly grew into a full-blown arts administrator’s job as Deputy Director and went on for another 10 years. I continued to work on my art, juried into the Torpedo Factory as a resident artist, created and sold my work there in my studio, and balanced it with my little part-time job. Then, I quit again. This time for good. I moved to New England in 2007 and started over with my art career in a new place, a new market. I had to do it all again, build an art community again. I joined several organizations, including the Women’s Caucus for the Arts, New England Wax, Elemental (an artist collective), and I have found a home in several regional galleries. I have exhibited widely both in the DC area and New England. So, here I am in 2019, and my journey continues….

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Strata The Earth prompts me to examine the space between the physical world and the inner world. Strata is the beginning of a journey for me. It is inspired by the unabashed directness of the natural world, open to revealing its history and its message. The natural world often stands in witness to our personal transformations as we segue easily from outer world to inner world. When I ride through the White Mountains, and see the spectacular Notches, carved into the mountains to provide passage, I find the Earth beckoning me to look and savor and go deeper, into my own inner terrain. Chiseled into the rock are the metaphors for my historyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the breaks, the faults, the dark crevices, the smooth surfaces, the fertile wetness, and the crumbling surfaces. I use paint, encaustic, silver leaf, and disparate materials on various substrates, to examine that space where two worlds meetâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;outer and inner, 2-D and 3-D. Layer upon layer, I seek to give the viewer a sense of something beneath the surface. I strive for a tactile quality, and I use the outside world as a jumping off point, as I proceed to investigate the topography of the mind. These current works are part of an ongoing series that uses rocks and mountains, rocky coasts, and the natural world as its metaphor, reflecting the paradox of constancy/change, static/shifting ground and the unrelenting message of the passage of time.

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Steven Branfman V E S S E L S

Raku Landscape Vessel (#1504) Wheel thrown, Poured glaze, 13â&#x20AC;?H, 2018

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Raku Vessel (#1480) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, Brushed slip and glaze,16”H, 2016

Raku Vessel (#1484) Wheel thrown, Altered surface, Sprayed glaze, 17”H, 2016

Raku Vessel (#1488) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, Brushed glaze, 15”H, 2016

Raku Vessel (#1498) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and applied texture, Poured glaze, 16”H, 2016

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Raku Vessel (#1506) Wheel thrown, Pressed texture, Brushed and splattered glaze, 15”H, 2018

Raku Vessel (#1508) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and applied texture, Brushed and poured glaze, 15”H, 2018

Raku Vessel (#1502) Wheel thrown, Inlaid colored glass and, carved surface, 17”H, 2018

Raku Vessel (#1501) Wheel thrown, Inlaid colored glass, 17”H, 2018

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Raku Vessel (#1514) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and incised texture, 10â&#x20AC;?H, 2019

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Raku Landscape Vessel (#1518) Wheel thrown, Poured glaze, 18â&#x20AC;?H, 2019

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Raku Vessel (#1477) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and applied texture, Brushed glaze, 17”H, 2016

Raku Landscape Vessel (#1473) Wheel thrown, Poured glaze, 15”H, 2016

Raku Vessel (#1294) Wheel thrown, Impressed texture, brushed glaze, 13”H, 2012

Raku Vessel (#1517) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, Brushed glaze, 18”H, 2019

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Why Chawan? I have been making bowls for many years, since I was a student. It is a basic object that all potters learn to make. I always liked the form, the shape, and the diverse size and scale that a bowl could assume. I liked throwing them, often large ones, 16 or 20 inches in diameter, small ones almost always off the hump, always trimmed. But as much as the form attracted me, it was never more than a shape. It had no depth, no emotion, no personal connection and no culture really. Eventually I began to think a bit more about the bowl and began to observe and recognize the shape differently. I began to “see” soup bowls, rice bowls, bowls for chili and for chowder. Bowls made for serving, mixing, baking. Bowls used for storing, for salad, for pasta. So many different bowls for so many different uses. But there was one bowl that I respected but still didn’t see. When my son Jared started studying pottery he was drawn to the bowl. It was, and is a shape that is formidable, challenging, easy to see but difficult to understand. It’s easy to make acceptable ones, fair ones, adequate ones, even good ones. It’s hard to make excellent ones. It was a shape that we talked about often. Jared “saw” the bowl, all kinds of bowls. Jared made bowls, real ones, authentic ones, excellent ones. Jared made tea bowls, Chawan, Japanese style tea bowls, the bowl that I didn’t see, that is, until Jared started making them. I had made small bowls, bowls that could be, and probably were used for tea. I never made a “tea bowl” though. If my bowl became a tea bowl it was from use, not by design. I never called my bowl a tea bowl. The more we talked, the more we shared, the more I understood the bowl. Teacher-student, student-teacher. The roles were becoming blurred, interchangeable, transitional. A Chawan is unique. It is an object tied to history, culture, ritual, and personality. To create a Chawan there must be a dedication, an inspiration that grows from within you. Jared’s Chawan came from the depths of his soul. Jared passed away in 2005 after a 2 ½ year battle with cancer. He was 23 years old. My life, my inspiration for making work and my fluency in the language of clay altered course and changed forever. The Chawan I make are from my heart. They are in Jared’s honor and in his memory. I hope you can see them the way I do.

Raku Chawan (#1240) Wheel thrown, Carved and altered surface, 5”H, 2014

Raku Chawan (#1204) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, 4”H, 2013

Raku Chawan (#1395) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, 4”H, 2015

Raku Chawan (#1462) Wheel thrown, Faceted and carved texture, 4”H, 2016

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Raku Winter Chawan #1 (#1469) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and altered surface , 4”H, 2018

Raku Chawan (#1092) Wheel thrown, Carved and faceted texture, 4”H, 2010

Raku Winter Chawan #2 (#1491) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and altered surface, 4”H, 2018

Raku Chawan (#1382) Wheel thrown, Pressed and carved texture, 4”H, 2016

Raku Chawan (#1492) Wheel thrown, Pressed, carved and altered surface, 4”H, 2018

Raku Tea Caddy (#1445) Wheel Thrown, Poured glaze, 6”H, 2016

Raku Chawan (#1404) Wheel thrown, Pressed texture, 4”H, 2016

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Patricia Gerkin S T R A T A

Vessel Landscape-2 24â&#x20AC;? x 24â&#x20AC;?, encaustic, oil sticks, eggshells on panel, 2019

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Strata#18 24” x 24”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2015

Vessel Landscape-1 24” x 24”, encaustic, oil sticks, glass shards, metal leaf on panel, 2019

Strata#13 24” x 24”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2014

Strata#37 24” x 24”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2016

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Strata#6 48” x 12”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2014

Strata#5 48” x 12”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2014

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Strata#10A 48” x 12”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2016

Strata#10 48” x 12”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2015

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Strata#36 24â&#x20AC;? x 24â&#x20AC;?, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2016

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Monolith#8 18” x 6” x 3”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2016

Monolith#6 18” x 6” x 3”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2015”H, 2012

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Monolith#5 18” x 6” x 3”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2015

Monolith#2 18” x 6” x 3”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2014

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Monolith#1 18” x 6” x 3”, encaustic, oil sticks, metal leaf on panel, 2014

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Steven Branfman 43 Chinian Path, Newton Center MA. 02459 USA 617/964 0442 sbranfpots@aol.com Studio The Potters Shop 31 Thorpe Road, Needham MA. 02494 USA 781/449 7687 PottersShop@aol.com www.ThePottersShop.com/steven-branfman Steven Branfman was born in 1953 in Los Angeles California. After his father completed his Korean War military service, the family moved back to Brooklyn NY where his parents were from. At the age of five, they moved to Bayside NY which is where Steven grew up. His primary interests growing up was athletics playing a variety of sports and he was on a direct path to a career in physical education. However, a rich cultural childhood surrounded his love of sports and he credits that as being the influence that led him to an art career. He was further influenced by a dynamic high school art teacher particularly in the area of sculpture. Branfman studied art at Cortland State University, New York with Gerald Diguisto (sculpture) George Dugan (drawing) and John Jessiman (pottery). He received his graduate degree at Rhode Island School Of Design in 1975 working under Norm Schulman and Jun Kaneko. He says of RISD, “The time spent at RISD was the most influential and important experience in my development as an artist. The teachers were dedicated, the students were serious, and the atmosphere was exciting and productive.” After graduating from RISD, Branfman established his own studio. In 1977 he founded The Potters Shop. The Potters Shop flourished and became a nationally known studio, school, and artists workspace. The studio went through several moves and in 1998 settled in Needham occupying space in an historic mill building. In 2007 Branfman purchased the building and though an extensive project, renovated the building into The Gorse Mill Studios, 33 artist working studio condominiums.

Branfman now enjoys an international reputation as a potter, teacher, and writer. He is the author of four books; Mastering Raku: Making Ware-Glazes-Building KilnsFiring published by Lark Books, Raku: A Practical Approach first and second editions, published by Krause Publications, and The Potters Professional Handbook published by The American Ceramic Society. Steven has delivered numerous workshops and presentations and his work appears in private, corporate, and museum collections and has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. and abroad. Steven has been the subject of, and has authored many articles on clay. Articles about, or by him have appeared in Ceramics Monthly, The Crafts Report, Clay Times, Boston Globe, Studio Potter, Neue Keramik, and Pottery Making Illustrated, among others. His clayworking techniques, examples of his work, and personal profiles appear in many books on pottery and ceramics as well as Who’s Who In American Art and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Steven’s time is spent working in his studio, The Potters Shop & School in Needham, writing, traveling to present workshops and demonstrations, and Thayer Academy in Braintree Massachusetts where he teaches pottery. His love of sports and athletics was never abandoned and Steven is an active skier, cyclist and coaches track and field at Thayer. He, his wife Ellen and their dog Bruno live in Newton Massachusetts. I am fortunate to have been able to forge a career in clay. I remain true to my ambition and motivation to make good pots, pots that hold up to thousands of years of ceramic history. My work is about vessels and the characteristics that make the vessel come alive: volume, texture, color, and scale. One of my objectives is, through my vessels, to preserve the connection between contemporary ceramic expression and pottery’s origins as functional containers, not to transform and abandon it. Though my forms are not functional as in domestic ware, they do suggest function and are certainly containers.

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Steven Branfman Resume EDUCATION Rhode Island School Of Design, M.A.T. 1975, Ceramics/ Education. Teaching Assistant, Graduate Honors Cortland State University B.A. 1974, Triple major: Ceramics, Sculpture, Art History EXHIBITIONS Select list, over 100 group and solo exhibitions including; Leach Pottery Museum, St Ives, UK The Teabowl: Past & Present, Group Exhibition, 2018 International Chawan and Tea Ware Project, Group Exhibitions, Netherlands, Kyoto, Belgium, Singapore, Taiwan, 2017 Thayer Academy Gallery, Braintree MA A Father’s Kaddish: A Father’s Tribute To His Son, One Person Show, 2015 Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA The State Of Clay; Pushing Boundaries, Group Show, 2015 Gorse Mill Gallery, Needham MA The Diverse Vessel Group Show, Curator and Exhibitor, 2015 Mayyim Hayyim Art Gallery, Newton MA Vessels: Containing Possibilities, Two Person Show, 2014 Ngee Ann Cultural Centre, Singapore, International Chawan Expo; 141 Famous International Chawan Makers, 2014 Concordia Gallery, St Paul MN, 5th Biennial Concordia Continental Ceramics Competition, 2014 Lexington Arts And Crafts Society, Lexington MA, The State Of Clay Biennial, 2014 Victoria College Fine Arts Gallery, Victoria TX Steven Branfman; New Works, One Person Show, 2014 Kaohsiung Dream Mall Gallery, Kaohsiung Taiwan Chawan International Exhibition, 2013 Vessels Gallery, Boston MA New Work In Raku, One Person Show, 2013 Le Centre Ceramique Contemporaine La Borne France Chawan, 2013 Gallery Yusai, Nara Japan, Chawan International Exhibition, 2012 Musee de Ceramic. Andenne Belgium, International Chawan Exhibition, 2010 Gallery H2O, Kyoto Japan, International Chawan Exhibition, 2010 National Earthenware Museum, Torhouts Belgium, International Chawan Exhibition, 2009 Qartz Gallery, Mechelen Belgium, International Chawan Exhibition, 2008 Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA, RISD Routes; Contemporary Craft By New England Alumni, 2007 American Museum Of Ceramic Art, Pomona CA, Raku Origins, Impact, And Contemporary Expression, 2006 North Carolina Pottery Center, Seagrove NC Norm Schulman: Master Potter, Master Teacher, 2005 Gallery At Keramikos, Haarlem The Netherlands. Steven Branfman: New Work In Raku, 2005 New Hampshire Institute Of Art, Manchester NH. National Ceramics Biennial, 2004 Weisman Art Museum. Minneapolis MN, Building A Collection: Ceramics From The Weisman Art Museum, 2000 Arts Festival Gallery, Lancaster PA, Pacific Tides: The Influence of the Pacific Rim on Contemporary American Ceramics,1999 Escuela De Artesanias, Mexico City, Haciendo Raku con Steven Branfman, 1998 Currier Art Gallery, Manchester NH, New Work In Raku, 1998 Vermont Clay Studio, Montpelier, 2+2=6: Six Internationally Recognized Raku Artists, 1996 Signature Galleries, The Artful Goblet Invitational Exhibition, 1990

COLLECTIONS partial list American Museum Of Ceramic Art, Pomona CA. Museum Of Art, Rhode Island School Of Design Mungyeong Ceramic Museum, Mungyeong South Korea Schein-Joseph International Museum Of Ceramic Art, Alfred University NY. Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento CA. Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton MA. Everson Museum Of Art, Syracuse NY. Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum. Minneapolis MN. Temple Aliyah, Needham MA Central Carolina Community College, Sanford NC. Concordia College, Ann Arbor MI. Cushing Academy, Ashburnham MA. Pennock Art Collection, Thayer Academy, Braintree MA. Walnut Creek Civic Arts, Walnut Creek CA. Canadian Clay And Glass Association, Toronto. BOOKS (author of) Naked Clay and Related Bare Clay Techniques, Contributing author, ACerS Publishers, 2012 Mastering Raku: Making Ware-Glazing-Building Kilns-Firing, Lark Books, 2009 Raku: A Practical Approach Second Edition, Krause Publications 2001, Hanusch Verlag, 2002 (German Language Edition) The Potters Professional Handbook, Krause Publications, 1999, American Ceramic Society, 2003 Make It In Clay, Contributing writer, Mayfield Publishers, 1997 Raku: A Practical Approach, Chilton Books, 1991 WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS (partial list); Raku Ho’olaule’a, Honolulu El Olvido Ceramica, Mexico City Burlington Art Center/Fusion, Toronto Rhode Island School Of Design New York State College of Ceramics Kalkspatz: German Potters Association, Munich Germany Keramikos, Haarlem Netherlands Oregon College Of Art And Craft, Portland Appalachian Center For Crafts, Smithville TN Beim Storchennest, Lutzmannsburg Austria Lehmhuus AG Basel Switzerland. Atelier Cirkel Brasschaat Belgium Toepferhus Albinen Switzerland PANELS/SYMPOSIA partial list The Necessity Of Community, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts, Panelist, Houston TX 2013 Bridging The Gap, Making the Transition From High School To College, NCECA Conference, Panelist, Philadelphia, PA 2010 Teaching High School Ceramics, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts, Panelist, Pittsburgh, PA 2008 Raku Origins, Impact, And Contemporary Expression American Museum Of Ceramic Art, Presenter and Panelist, Pomona CA 2006 All Fired Up, Potters Council Regional Conference, Presenter, Garden City NY 2006 Getting Published, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts, Panelist, Baltimore MD 2005 Throwing Techniques, Potters Council Regional Workshop, Presenter, Mendocino CA 2005

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Ceramic Arts Roadshow & Symposium, Panelist and Presenter, Riverside California 2004 Goshogawara International Wood Fire Festival, Invited Panelist and Presenter, Aomori Japan 2003 Firing Practices, Potters Council Regional Conference: Invited Panelist and Presenter, La Crosse WI 2003 Teaching Ceramics In The Secondary School, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts Topical Discussions, Moderator 2001 The Artists Life And Lifestyle Arts, First Young Artists Symposium, Panelist, Boston MA 2001 Ceramics At The Millenium, Steamboat Colorado Arts Center, Presenter and Panelist Steamboat Springs CO 1999 Balancing The Act-How To Make A Life In Ceramics, National Council on Education in the Ceramic Topical Discussions, Moderator 1999 The Business Of Crafts, Rhode Island School Of Design Panelist, Providence RI 1998 A Career In Crafts, Massachusetts College Of Art, Panelist, Boston MA 1994. Career and Lifestyle Strategies For The Fine Arts Graduate, Rhode Island School Of Design Seminar Presentation 1993 PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES/BOARDS The Potters Shop And Potters School, Needham MA, FounderDirector 1977-present Clay Times Magazine, monthly column and feature writer National K-12 Ceramic Exhibition Foundation, Founding Board Member Potters Council Of The American Ceramic Society, Founding Board Member, Past Chair Studio Potter Organization Past Vice President, Board Of Trustees Rhode Island School Of Design Boston Area Alumni Chapter Founding Member, First President Rhode Island School Of Design Alumni Executive Council, Past Member Cortland College Arts And Sciences Advisory Board Founding Board Member 1999-2002

Patricia Gerkin 18 Haines Brook Farm Lane Greenland, NH 03840 www.gerkinstudios.com gerkinstudios@gmail.com 603/433-4309 cell: 703/587-1767 Education Ms. Gerkin received her B.A. from Fairmont State College in English, and she worked in the editorial and publications field while she pursued her passion, art. She has studied art independently and through the Corcoran School of Art, with William Christenberry and Steven Cushner, Arlington Arts Center, NOVA, with Ann Salley and Priscilla Treacy and The Art League, with Deirdre Saunder and Carol Dupre. She is an Associate Artist of the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA and was a resident artist there until she moved from the DC area to New England in 2007. She is a current member of the Ogunquit Artist’s Association in Ogunquit, ME; a former member of the Copley Society of Boston, and of the Women’s Caucus for Art. She is a founding member of New England Wax; Elemental, the Art Collective; and Painters & Poets. She is represented by Powers Gallery, Acton, MA; Mitchell-Giddings Fine Art, Brattleboro, VT; L’Attitude Gallery, Boston, MA; Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, ME; and Art3Gallery, Manchester, NH. Ms. Gerkin began her art studies in the early 70s and has painted continuously in oil, watercolor, and acrylic until 2005, when she was introduced to the luminous medium of encaustic. She continues to discover new ways to work with the medium and works both small and large in both encaustic on panel and acrylic on canvas. Her large acrylic canvas works tend to be bright, colorful and uplifting. Her encaustic panels and sculptures are more intimate and soulful. Because Ms. Gerkin is self-motivated and self-evolving, she values her time in the studio as the time to “tough things out and learn by experimentation.” Curious by nature, she likens the artistic process to a scientist’s investigative methods.

Process and Inspirations Using paint sticks, encaustic, metal leaf, and disparate materials on various substrates, Ms. Gerkin challenges viewers to notice that space where two worlds meet— outer and inner--often drawing on Japanese aesthetics and philosophy such as wabi sabi and mono no aware (the compassionate reverence of impermanence). Her process is intuitive, allowing the materials to lead the way. Forms and lines are organic, and surfaces are deeply textured as if hiding a mystery. Layer upon layer, her works exude a tactile quality and a sense of something beneath the surface. One has the sense of archaeology or unearthing something as yet undiscovered. Ms. Gerkin uses the natural world as her metaphor, reflecting on the paradox of constancy/change, static/ shifting ground, and the unrelenting message of the passage of time. There is history revealed in the passages of bared, sliced rocks that make way for paths and roadways and highways. There is beauty in a dying leaf, and as the Japanese say, “The leaf that has left the tree is more beautiful than the leaf that remains on the tree.” Nature teaches us the wisdom of life, death, and rebirth in the most exquisite and poignant ways and Ms. Gerkin strives to capture the essence of that poignancy. Ms. Gerkin was awarded an artist’s fellowship for painting at Vermont Studio Center in 2001 and she spent a month there. Her work was chosen to represent the U.S. and exhibit two works in the American Embassy in Kuwait, 2016-2017, as part of the Arts in Embassies program of the U.S. State Department. Her works are included in many collections in the U.S., Brazil, and Europe. Her abstract paintings and mixed media have been exhibited in numerous solo and group shows throughout the Washington, DC area and New England, and she has exhibited in several museum shows, including Saco Museum, Saco, ME; The Art Complex, Duxbury, MA; and Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA.

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Patricia Gerkin Resume SOLO/2-PERSON EXHIBITIONS Gorse Mill Gallery, “Converging Terrains,” Steven Branfman/ Patricia Gerkin, Needham, MA, 2019. L’Attitude Gallery, “Pat Gerkin: New Works,” Boston, MA, 2014. “Encore,” Paintings by David Estey and 3-D sculptural paintings by Pat Gerkin, Carver Hill Gallery, Rockland, ME, 2013. Main Street Gallery, “Acrylics and Encaustics,” Newfields, NH, 2011. Red Door Gallery, “The Colors of the Earth,” Richmond, VA, 2010. DC Metropolitan Art Expo, Gaylord Hotel, National Harbor, MD, 2010. “Earthworks”, Governor’s Academy, Byfield, MA, 2008. Cox Communications, Herndon, VA, 2005. Hyatt Regency, Reston, VA, 2005. Sponsor: Greater Reston Arts Center. “Desert Reflections,” Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, Baltimore, MD, 2004. “PASSAGES”, Studio Gallery, Washington, DC, 2003. Capital One, McLean, VA, July-October 2003. Cox Communications, Herndon, VA, 2003. EDS, Herndon, VA, 2002. Logistics Management Institute, McLean, VA, 2001. “PARABLE,” Studio Gallery, Washington, DC, 2000. UPCOMING Exhibitions: “Tipping Points: Four Perspectives,” Elemental Artist Collective, Worcester State University, Worcester, MA, October 2019. GROUP EXHIBITIONS ”Winter Group 2019,” Mitchell-Giddings Fine Art, Brattleboro, VT. Various abstract group shows, Powers Gallery, Acton, MA, 2011-2019. ”ELEMENTAL:Contemporary Encaustic,” Four artists at Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts, Springfield Museums, Springfield, MA, July 2018-July 2019. “Distractions,” Art 3 Gallery, Manchester, NH, 2018-2019. ”Tipping Points:Changing Paradigms,” Thayer Gallery, Braintree, MA, 2018. “Contemporary Visions 2018”, 7 Gallery Artists, Powers Gallery, Acton, MA, 2018. ”Abstraction”, Aimee Fine Art Gallery, Decatur, GA, 20172018. “New Art in the Gallery,” McGowan Fine Art, Concord, NH, 2017-2018. Gallery Blink, various juried shows, Lexington, MA, 2017-2018. “Beneath the Surface,” Saco Museum, Saco, ME, 2016. “Compelling Progressions,” The Art Complex Museum, Duxbury, MA, 2016. ”New Artist: New Work,” Atrium Gallery, Charleston, SC, 2015. “Permanent Collection,” Pew Charitable Trust, Washington, DC, 2014-2015. “Transformations,” Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough, NH, Fall, 2014. “Breaking Boundaries,” Fountain Street Fine Art, Framingham, MA, 2014. “The Chemistry of Autumn,” Carver Hill Gallery, Rockland, ME, 2013. “New in the Gallery,” McGowan Fine Art Gallery, Concord, NH, 2013. “Annual Regional Juried Show,” OAA, Barn Gallery, Ogunquit, ME, 2013. “Group Show,” Red Door Gallery, Richmond, VA, 2013.

“Annual Group Show,” Red Door Gallery, Richmond, VA, 2012-2013. “National Encaustic Institute Juried Exhibit,” Santa Fe, NM, 2012. “Abstracts,” MacPage LLC, Portland, ME, 2013. OAA, Barn Gallery, various group shows, Ogunquit, ME, 2012-present. “Elemental Encaustic,” ArtSpace, Maynard, MA, 13, 2012. “Wax, Inc.,” South Shore Art Center, Cohasset, MA, 2011 2nd Place. New Hampshire Institute of Art Biennial, Manchester, NH, 2011. Annual Group Show, Red Door Gallery, 2011. “Hot Wax/Cold Metal,” Art At 12 Gallery, Fort Point, Boston, MA, 2011. Copley Society of Art, various juried group shows, Boston, MA, 2009-2012. Art3Gallery, various group shows, Manchester, NH, 2008 – present. New England Wax at Fairfield Arts Center, Fairfield, CT, 2010. Sheafe Warehouse, Prescott Park Arts Festival, Portsmouth, NH,2008-2010, 2nd Place. Saco Museum/Dyer Library, “Heatstroke”, Saco, ME, 2009. 100 Market Street Gallery, various group shows, Portsmouth, NH,2007-2009. Nahcotta Gallery, “Enormous Tiny Art Show 2-5”, Portsmouth, NH, 2009. Steamboat Springs Arts Council, “The Diptych Project: A Collaboration in Wax,” Steamboat Springs, CO, Nov 2008. Montserrat College of Art, “The Diptych Project”, Second Annual Encaustic Conference, Beverly, MA, 2008. Mill Pond Gallery, “Wax-It ‘08”, Concord, NH, 2008. Whitney Art Works, “The Diptych Project”, Portland, ME, and The Marki Gallery, Portland, OR, 2008. Daniel Kany Gallery, Portland, ME, 2007. Touchstone Gallery, various juried shows, Washington, DC, 1998-2006. Arlington Arts Center, ”Déjà vu, “Arlington, VA, 2006. The Art League Sculptors at Washington Square, Washington, DC, 2005. Evolve Urban Arts Project, Pierce School, Washington, DC, 2005. RedSky Gallery, Charlotte, NC, 2005. Assemblages at Glenview Mansion Gallery, Rockville, MD, 2004. Assemblage show at Northwood Gallery, Northwood University, Midland, MI, 2004. Target Gallery, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA, 2003. ABSTRAKT group show, Sharon Art Center, Peterborough, NH, 2003. Art-O-Matic, Cultural Development Corp.,1999-2002, Washington, DC. Ashley Gallery, 2002, Philadelphia, PA. Washington Theological Union, Washington, DC, 2001-2002. Featured Artist. District West Fine Art, Leesburg, VA, 2002. Studio Gallery, Washington, DC, various group shows1998-2002. “Influence,” Six Washington Artists, 2000, Gallery 505, Washington, DC. The Christenberry Group, Off White Walls Gallery, The Corcoran College of Art and Design, 1999-2000. A Salon, Ltd., Wilson Center Gallery, Washington, DC, 19971999 Project Space, Washington, DC 1999.

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“Abstract Show,” The Art League, Alexandria, VA 1998. “ART4VIEW,” Studio Gallery, Washington, DC, 1998. eklektikos gallery, Washington, DC 1998. INSTALLATIONS Worked as one of a team of artists on public installation of 300 mosaic ceramic tile figures for Hopscotch Bridge Project, 1997. [Project is on view at H Street Bridge, Washington, DC]. COLLECTIONS Pew Charitable Trust, Ritz-Carlton Tysons, Oracle/AcmePacket Network Solutions, Covery’s, Innotech, Lando & Anastasi, LLP, Orr & Reno, LLP, Swissotel Chicago, Mandarin Oriental Hotel/DC, D.C. Commission on Arts and Humanities, The Bomstein Agency, The McKinsey Company, Spiegel & McDiarmid, Ibus, Bruggen Realty Group, International Monetary Fund, Miravo Communications, Sao Bento Mosteiro, Vinhedo, Sao Paulo, and public/private collections in U.S., Europe Brazil. AWARDS Art in Embassies, Two paintings installed in American Embassy in Kuwait, 2015-2017. “White Lights,” The Copley Society, Boston, MA,2010&2011, 2nd Place. Josie F. Prescott Award, Sheafe Warehouse, Prescott Park Arts Festival, 2010 Juried into the Copley Society of Art as an associate artist, 2009 “50 Years, 50 Pieces,” Equal Award, 50th Anniversary Celebration Show, The Art League/Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA, 2004 Purchase Award, DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, Wash., DC, 2000-2001 Juried into Torpedo Factory Art Center as an associate artist, 2003 Vermont Studio Center, painting fellowship award, 2001 AFFILIATIONS ELEMENTAL (Founding member, Artist Collective); New England Wax (N.E.W., founding member); Copley Society of Art (former member), Boston, MA; Torpedo Factory Associate Artist, Alexandria, VA; Ogunquit Artists’ Association; Founder: Painters & Poets (Cross-disciplinary Creative Group, Founder). REVIEWS Compelling Progressions,”ArtScope, by Elizabeth Michelman. “The New Hotness at McGowan Fine Art,” The Concord Insider, 2013, Ben Conant. “Abstract Form in Three Modes,” Glenview Mansion Show, Claudia Rousseau, 2004. “Abstract Impact,” a profile of Patricia Gerkin, Mary Ann Barton, élan magazine, 2003. “Visual dichotomies,” Arts& Leisure review of “Abstract/ Realism,” (show at Sharon Art Center), Jane Eklund, Monadnock Ledger, 2003. “Abstract, realism in Sharon,” Monadnock Living review of “Abstract/Realism,” Joni Hullinghorst, The Keene Sentinel, 2003 “Pulse Profile: Turning to art full time,” a profile article of Pat Gerkin, The Mount Vernon Gazette,1998, Gale Curcio.

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V ERUS D E SI G N

The Gorse Mill Gallery features exhibitions by local, national and international artists. Exhibitions change each month, with opening receptions often featuring gallery talks by the exhibiting artists. The Gorse Mill Gallery is located at 31 Thorpe Road, Needham, Massachusetts, and is open to the public Monday - Thursday 11-5 and Friday 10-4, or by appointment. The Gorse Mill Gallery is also available for meetings and events. For more information contact: info@gorsemillstudios.com

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