THE ZANESVILLE PRIZE FOR CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS
2015
The Zanesville Prize For Contemporary Ceramics The Muskingum County Community Foundation proudly presents the second Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics juried exhibition. This international biennial features sixty-three works of art from fifty-nine artists illustrating the spectacular range of contemporary ceramics. The sculptural and functional works on view often contest the conventional boundaries of the clay medium, resulting in strikingly original forms, surface treatments, and content. For more information about contemporary ceramics please visit zanesvilleart.org. To purchase works from the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics please visit zanesvilleprize.org. The proceeds from the sale of works benefit the Muskingum County Community Foundation.
JUROR
Doug Jeck Doug Jeck was born in 1963 and grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He studied music as a trumpet major at Tennessee Tech University from 1981 to1983. In 1983, he began working with clay at the Appalachian Center for Arts and Crafts in Smithville, Tennessee and received his BFA in 1986. He attended The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1987 and received his MFA in 1989. He left Chicago in 1994 to teach ceramic sculpture at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. In 1996, he began teaching at the University of Washington, where he is currently an Associate Professor and the chair of Ceramic Art. He has received awards and grants from the Illinois Arts Council, two National Endowment for the Arts Visual Arts Fellowships, the Virginia A. Groot Foundation, and an NEA travel grant to the La Napoule Foundation, La Napoule, France. His work is included in numerous private and public collections. Selected collections include: the Johnson Wax Collection; the Los Angeles County Museum; the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery; the Mint Museum; the Tacoma Art Museum; the Seattle Art Museum; the Gardiner Museum of Art; and the Virginia A. Groot Foundation.
JUROR STATEMENT
I am honored to have participated in the jurying process for the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics. “Participation” accurately describes the nature of “round two” of the jurying process, in which Julia Galloway, Doug Jeck, and myself whittled and distilled the results of our preliminary selections into the group of works that comprise the exhibition. As daunting as our task seemed initially, given the number of applicants and range of approaches to the ceramic medium, we were, overall, remarkably consistent and harmonious in our assessment of the work. We three each engage a different focus in the vast arena of contemporary ceramics and it was a privilege to discuss our interpretations and criteria for excellence together. My review process in the solo round one jurying was surprisingly and refreshingly not methodical; normally, when I’m examining thousands of images of artwork—it is. In reviewing applications for grad school, a teaching position, etc., I’m viewing work whilst trying to envision a potential future for and with its maker, beyond the on-screen moment with the image or piece itself. The round one Zanesville Prize jurying, for me, was solely about considering singular artworks, not artists, and this proved to be more difficult than one might imagine. Only the most essential information was considered for each numbered image: scale, material and process, dimensions, and title. For many entries, one or more of these descriptive features had a decisive impact (positive or negative) on my perception of the work; most often, scale and title. Scale Images can have a deceiving impact if photographed on a seamless backdrop and viewed on a laptop, i.e., “Wow, look at that thing! Oh, wait, it’s 9 inches…not 9 feet.” Of course the converse is also true for some artworks: “Whoa, is that thing really three inches tall? Spectacular!” Titles A great title is an opportunity to suggest layers of meaning that orbit (not explain) an artwork’s identity and can enmesh the peculiarities of both verbal and visual thinking for the viewer. Very often, Untitled is perfectly acceptable and much preferred to weak puns, one-liners, or saccharine lines of minor poetic verse. It is untrue to assume that there is a cavalier liberty that accompanies total anonymity as a juror. Neither is it true that I could (or should) claim complete authority in evaluating every creative gesture made through a medium that I know most idiosyncratically—clay, in this case. What is true: I cherish articulate voices that differ from my own. I respect the embrace and transformation of traditions we inherit, but reject complacent mimicry. I believe that virtuosity and technical sophistication are not mutually exclusive. The most compelling works I encountered in my review emanated (even on laptop) the promise of, what James Joyce termed “aesthetic arrest.” In effect, this refers to that rare object, so innately persuasive and assured in its demeanor that one may simply, inexplicably, behold its radiance.
Studio artist, writer, curator, and educator Garth Johnson is the Curator of Ceramics at the ASU Art Museum. Before moving to Tempe, Johnson served as the Curator of Artistic Programs at The Clay Studio in Philadelphia and spent seven years as a Professor at College of the Redwoods in Eureka, California. He is a self-described craft activist who explores craft’s influence and relevance in the 21st century. His weblog, Extreme Craft, is a “Compendium of Art Masquerading as Craft, Craft Masquerading as Art, and Craft Extending its Middle Finger.” His first book, 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse was published by Quarry in November 2009. He has also contributed to the books Handmade Nation, Craftivity, Craft Corps and the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s upcoming book Nation Building. Johnson is currently a Director-at-Large on the board of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA). He is leading a task force for a publication that will anthologize contributions to the
JUROR
GARTH JOHNSON
JUROR STATEMENT
Zanesville’s identity is inextricably tied to pottery. Countless potteries have existed in and around Zanesville over the past centuries. Some of those potteries churned out humble, functional crockery in an era before Tupperware and refrigeration revolutionized how we consumed and stored food. Some of the potteries produced elegant vases and other art pottery that sprang from the philosophy of the American Arts and Crafts movement. Still others created knick-knacks and figurines for the tourist market. My personal tastes lean toward the intemperate and the oddball, so it should come as no surprise that I’m obsessed with some of the more eccentric offerings by Weller Pottery, which was a pillar of the Zanesville community from 1889 through 1948. Weller is hard to pigeonhole because its founder, Sam Weller pursued many different lines for different markets and tastes. Weller made plenty of affordable pieces that were easy to produce and decorate, but also exquisite vases that were intensely hand-decorated. What I thought I knew about Weller was shattered earlier this year, when I paid a visit to Bill Paul, Director Emeritus of the Georgia Art Museum (and certifiable art pottery junkie). While making my way through his 2000+ piece collection of art pottery, I kept stopping at lumpy, runny pieces in a range of eye-popping colors. They looked for all the world like the love children of George E. Ohr, the “Mad Potter of Biloxi” and a drip candle in a chianti bottle (which I mean as a high compliment). It turns out that the pots that caught my eye were all examples of Weller Handmade, a line that flourished in the 1920s and ‘30s while Weller employed a Bulgarian émigré named Stoin M. Stoin. Bill Paul wrote a lengthy article on Stoin for the fall 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Art Pottery Association that is filled with as many details as could be gleaned from a scant historical record.
“I’m pleased by the fact that the entries in this year’s Zanesville Prize reflect the eclectic work that has come out of Zanesville’s potteries over the years.” Prize Juror, Garth Johnson
Stoin began working for Weller in 1928 and set about working on many different lines for the company, including Ansonia, Velvetone, Fleron, Juneau and Nile. The pieces that caught my eye were all marked “Weller Ware Hand Made”, and many of these were apparently made in front of an audience at the Weller factory in Zanesville. Looking at his pottery’s exuberant surfaces and shapes, one can easily imagine Stoin adding a dash of showmanship to his formidable skills at the potter’s wheel to wow factory visitors. I’m pleased by the fact that the entries in this year’s Zanesville Prize reflect the eclectic work that has come out of Zanesville’s potteries over the years. There are manicured, well-mannered tours de force of skill and craftsmanship, but this is balanced by wild experiments in technique and installation, as well as a few others with a bit of Stoin M. Stoin’s showbiz razzle dazzle. In my day job, I have the pleasure of overseeing one of the finest collections of modern American studio ceramics in the country at the Arizona State University Ceramics Research Center in Tempe. I spend each day surrounded by masterworks by potters like Warren Mackenzie, Karen Karnes and Toshiko Takaezu, as well as sculptures by Robert Arneson, Jun Kaneko, Patti Warashina and Beth Cavener, which is to say that I run the risk of being spoiled or jaded. I am not surprised that the best of the best applied for Zanesville. I was overjoyed to see many artists represented in the Ceramics Research Center’s collection among the applicants. I was even happier to see how many young and emerging artists were creating work that can easily hang with the work of the field’s great masters. The things about being on the jury for Zanesville that made me happiest, though, were the surprises. Quite a few pieces selected by the jury were selected because the artist showed us a singular new voice. Other pieces were selected because we couldn’t believe what we were seeing on the computer screen and we needed to see it in real life. In any case, I’m happy to report that even though a huge juried show like the Zanesville Prize can’t fully represent the spectrum of thought and engagement with the field of ceramics, it can still provide a platform for significant new voices, as well as an opportunity for established artists to push themselves to make new discoveries. I’m not claiming to be able to make a coherent statement about the work on display in this year’s Zanesville Psrize, but it does represent the diverse range of voices that make the field of ceramics one of the most vital in the world of contemporary art.
JUROR
JULIA GALLOWAY Julia Galloway is a utilitarian potter, professor, and the Director of the School of Art at the University of Montana, Missoula. Born and raised in Boston, Galloway did her graduate studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, her BFA at New York State College of Art & Design at Alfred University, studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and the Massachusetts College of Art. Julia Galloway has exhibited across the US, Canada, and Asia and her work is included in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery, Washington DC; Long Beach Art Museum, Long Beach CA; The Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington, WV; Archie Bray Foundation, Helena, MT; The Clay Art Center, Port Chester, NY; and The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Julia Galloway has served on the board of the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts and The Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts. Her work has been published in Ceramics Monthly, Studio Potter, Art and Perception, and Clay Times. She also is in The Ceramic Spectrum by Robin Hopper, The Art of Contemporary Pottery by Kevin Hulch, Craft in America: Celebrating Two Centuries of Artist and Objects, and The Ceramic Continuum: Fifty Years of the Archie Bray Influence. In addition, she has developed service based websites: “Montana Clay” and “the field guide for ceramics artisans“.
JUROR STATEMENT
When jurying the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics exhibition we had a broad range of work to consider. Garth Johnson and Doug Jeck were excellent colleagues; they are such keen observers and also provided eloquent analysis of specific artwork and the general genres of ceramics today. Trends in the field of studio ceramics come and go; this year, a little less wood fire, a little more slip casting and 3D printing, a little less evidence of the maker’s hand, a little more inlay decoration and decals. It seemed that full-size figurative work and wheel-thrown teapots are a bit on the decline, and dioramas and porcelain serving dishes on the rise. But still, again and again I was impressed by the variety of work, the innovative ideas and depth of concepts of the artwork. Such impressive technical skills, a mixture of techniques and firing processes. Such boldness of content; ideas of identity, politics, narrative and beauty. Our field is no longer defined by geographical location, or educational doctrine. More and more artists are making work unique to themselves. Reviewing these artworks was a challenge and a pleasure. For me the jury process was in three steps. First I reviewed all of the images without judgment—I slowly and carefully went through the images twice, letting the abundance of visual information wash over me. This was a process of several hours and included a few walks around the block to help me focus. Second, I reviewed the images and slowly, very slowly voted “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” on each one. Going back and forth to compare work and genres was actually fun, accompanied with some teeth gnashing from anxiety of selecting, and some giggling from the work itself, or how different pieces of artwork would influence each other. I was generous with the “maybe” vote option as I was looking forward to my conversation with fellow jurors. I voted “maybe” for work I didn’t truly understand, that I thought might be heavily appropriated, or work that I was profoundly familiar with and may have a personal basis for or against. Third, Garth Johnson, Doug Jeck, and I spent many hours reviewing images together with great help from the staff of the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics. We all saw very different things in the work and our conversation was rich with observation, context, and good humor. Over time, there were some works we would feel very strongly about, others we could let go easily. There were some things we all agreed upon quickly—craftsmanship and issues involving appropriation. And other areas we needed to discuss—issues of scale, material, clarity of idea and genre representation. It was a great help that we all interact with different parts of the larger field of ceramics, through location, artwork, and employment. This brought a wealth of experience to the decision-making process. It is uncommon in ceramics for the awards to be as generous as at the Zanesville Prize. This added to the anxiety of the selection process for me. However, good work is still good work, substantial award prizes or not. The Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics is a unique opportunity. When selecting work I was always thinking two fold; first—the best work, across the board, what artwork shone above all others. And second—a cross section of what is being made in ceramics today. I hope the exhibition is a true representation of the best of what our field has to offer, it was a great pleasure reviewing and discussing the work with my peers. I hope this exhibition embodies the best of what we, contemporary ceramics, are.
I was impressed by the variety of work, the innovative ideas and depth of concepts of the artwork.
Prize Juror, Julia Galloway
FINALISTS
Posey Bacopoulos Paisley Pitcher, 2015 $250
Josh DeWeese Covered Jar 1, 2015 $4,000
Kosmas Ballis Hen House, 2015 $1,600
Josh DeWeese Covered Jar 2, 2015 $4,000
Dylan Beck Acid Drop, 2015 $1,300
Eddie Dominguez Back Bone, 2014 $8,500
Zimra Beiner Suburban Rock (Red, Grey), 2015 $1,800
Paul Donnelly Dish, 2015 $325
Christina Brinkman The Gathering, 2015 $1,600
Paul Donnelly Tray, 2015 $225
Jeremy Brooks Greener Greens, 2015 $950
Chris Dufala Selling Copy, 2015 $9,600
Jeremy Brooks Peeler, 2014 $850
Thomas Edwards Thirty Six Demitasse, 2015 $10,000
Tom Budzak Claire, 2015 $425
Sharan Elran Unlimited Edition—1 of 6,227,020,800, 2012 $400
Andrew Casto Assemblage 80, 2015 $1,900
April Felipe She Wrapped Them with Yesterdays and Tomorrows, 2015 $1,650
Joshua Clark Up For Grabs, 2015 $4,000
Erin Furimsky I Think of Blue Flowers, 2014 $2,200
David Crane Wedge Platter, 2011 $1,500
Alessandro Gallo Come Fly with Me, 2014 $14,000
Tina Gebhart Porcelain Soldiers III, 2015 $700
Heesoo Lee Ascension, 2015 $3,800
Jason Green Recovered Geometry No. 15, 2014 $6,000
Clay Leonard Triune Rectangle Server with Nesting Plates, 2014 $450
Rain Harris Gelidus Flos, 2015 $2,300
Simon Levin Stony Cauldron, 2014 $2,000
Jason Hess Spouted Bowl with Cups, 2014 $185
Paul Linhares Pair of Mugs in Blue and White, 2015 $95
Dawn Holder Grass Variation (Diagonal Mound), 2015 $7,000
Lynne Lofton Pair of White Rabbit Vases on Base, 2013 $700
Amanda Jaffe Blue/Yellow III, 2015 $800
Jeannine Marchand Folds LI, 2015 $6,500
Peter Christian Johnson Scaffolding with Red, 2015 $1,950
Andrea Marquis Nightshade, 2015 $1,250
Lauren Kalman Devices for Filling a Void, 2015 $10,800
Paul McMullan Butterfly Ear, 2014 $1,200
Kristen Kieffer Grande Pear Jar, 2014 $600
John Murphy God's Universe, 2015 $1,800
Kristen Kieffer Lattice Vase, 2015 $550
Sean O’Connell Platter, 2014 $450
Rob Kolhouse Judgement.exe, 2015 $1,500
Brooks Oliver Squiggle Vase, 2015 $650
Kevin Rohde Oyster Seeds, 2014 $4,300
Colby Parsons Peak #1, 2014 $12,000
Raymond Rorke Handhelds, 2014 $4,000
Zemer Peled Flowered Lions, 2015 $6,100
Amanda Salov Bloom, 2013 $1,100
Bob Pool Full, 2015 $425
Thomas Schmidt and Jeffrey Miller Recycled China Triptych, 2013 $2,000
Kristine Poole Wordcage, 2015 $12,000
Ian Thomas Can't You Give Them Something for That?, 2015 $3,700
Jessica Putnam-Phillips Ashes of Rose, Urn Pair, 2015 $2,400
John Utgaard Reaction, 2014 $1,000
Jessica Putnam-Phillips In sha`Allah, 2015 $1,500
Robert Wagener Dark Star, 2015 $350
Armando Ramos ACC, 2014 $3,400
Russell Wrankle Binocular and a Diner Mug, 2014 $2,200
FINALISTS
Brent Pafford Skillets, 2013 $500
Matthew Repsher Blue Bottle, 2015 $900
Matthew Repsher Orange Bottle, 2015 $900
Kate Roberts Miss Havisham's Beauty—Vase One, 2015 $1,600
“I believe that virtuosity and technical sophistication are not mutually exclusive.” Prize Juror, Doug Jeck
ZANESVILLE PRIZE EXHIBITION DONORS
The Graham Family: Clay and Alice, Bryan and Beth The Ohio Arts Council The Community Bank In Memory of Samuel A. Weller, Ceramic Innovator and Community Leader Mr. Robert Kessler | Kessler Sign Company Muskingum County Community Foundation Artist Colony of Zanesville The Huntington Bank Ohio University Zanesville Zane State College Mrs. Robert W. Forker Sr. Zanesville Development Corporation Barnes Advertising
Century National Bank Dr. and Mrs. Scott Wegner Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rogovin Gottlieb, Johnston, Beam & DalPonte, PLL Mr. and Mrs. Jay Wince ZOCA | Mitzel Family Donor Advised Fund Mr. and Mrs. Greg Adams Mr. and Mrs. John C. Matesich III Mr. and Mrs. Brent Stubbins Stubbins, Watson & Bryan Co, LLP Mr. and Mrs. Mark Kaido Dr. and Mrs. William Black Dr. and Mrs. Victor Szemetylo McLain, Hill, Rugg & Associates CPAs, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Rob Sharrer | Varsity Title Mr. Levi Shegog and Mr. Jason Shively Ms. Juliellen Byrne Mr. and Mrs. Charles Stewart Mr. Tom Johnson, Mayor of Somerset, Ohio Mr. and Mrs. Rob Joseph Zanesville Daybreak Rotary Mr. Tim Longstreth | The Comfort Inn Zanesville-Muskingum County Chamber of Commerce Mr. and Mrs. James Lepi | Lepi & Associates Muskingum County Library System Denison Museum Columbus Museum of Art Messrs. Vince, Marco, and Steve Adornetto
620 Military Road | Zanesville, Ohio | 43701 (740) 452-0741 | www.zanesvilleart.org Left: Detail, Jeannine Marchand, Folds LI, 2015. Front Cover: Detail, Peter Christian Johnson, Scaffolding with Red, 2015.