The Clackamas print., March 15, 2006, Page 4, Image 4

4 Feature
Clackamas Prin]
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
1
Pottery show ‘fires up’ campu
Michael Kimberling
The Clackamas Print
As part of the National
Council for Education of the
Ceramic Arts annual confer­
ence, Clackamas’ Pauling
Center provided the venue for
the Canadian group Fired Up,
March 8 through 11.
“It’s an exchange of ideas,”
said Canadian ceramic artist
Meg Burgess, “and the variety
of type of work, some just
glazes, creativity ideas that we
want to share with other people
who are interested in clay.”
According to Pat Webber,
a member of the Canadian
ceramic movement, a point to
be made about the 18 artists
that make up Fired Up is that
they have been showing art
together for 22 years.
“This is an ongoing rela­
tionship that we have with one
another,” said Webber. "“We
have shows around Canada,
different
prov­
inces ... invita­
tional shows and
an annual show in
Victoria.”
Webber went
on to say that most
of the students
from Clackamas
that went through
expressed a lot of
enjoyment.
“Some of this
work is sculptural,
thrilling, funny,
some of it is more
basic for use in
your homes,” said
Webber.
According to
Burgess, the show
was exciting for
Fired Up to see
their own work
through the stu-
dent s eyes.
‘Jit has been
great to have
that interaction,
;ss said.
Burgess
Among
the
other artists there
were Gary Merkel and Gordon
Hutchens.
Hutchens has been produc­
ing works of art and func­
tional pottery for over 35 years
with over 25 one-man shows,
and over 85 group exhibitions
across Canada, the US, Japan
and Korea.
Hutchens went on to
explain how the medium of
ceramics as an art form lends
itself to a more technical uni­
verse to explore, and how a
few of his pieces capture the
color patterns of a seashell as
it grows.
“I spray in a mixture of dif­
ferent metallic salts which then
vaporize, and those metallic
vapors caress the surface and
create those iridescent colors,
illustrious colors; interfer­
ence colors technically,” said
Hutchens.
“They’re literally bouncing
light waves back to your eye
in slightly conflicting wave
patterns, and that creates that
illusion of iridescence. At this
angle it looks purple, at this
angle it looks turquoise. It’s
a physics experiment in the
surface of glaze.”
According to Merkel, he
treats the porcelain teapots he
creates as sculptural collages.
“I like to think of them
as conversation piece,” said
Merkel. “As you would take
the time to go out for a cup
of coffee, you would take the
time to sit back look at the art
work and lose yourself in its
frivolity.”
Merkel also states that he
works spontaneously to con-
tribute to the freshness and
liveliness of the architectural
pieces.
“I want the work to stand
on its own,” said Merkel, “I
want people to be intrigued
with the work for more than a
fleeting moment, but to really
look at it, feel it, touch it,
experience it on all levels,
which I think is what sculpt]
is really about.”
On the day before the shq
closed, Fired Up showed]
gratitude to the students a
campus of Clackamas.
“Thank you for hosting J
said Webber, “it’s been a pl]
sure to be here on this beau
ful campus.”
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
11
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WORKING ADULT
•BS BUSINESS AND LEADERSHIP
All photos by Michael Kimberling Clackamas Print
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Gordon Hutchens (Above Left), who
focuses in stoneware, crystalline por­
celain and lustreware, displays two of
his creations. He uses metallic salts to
create irridescent surfaces akin to the
seashells of marine animals. (Above
Right) Vases and Pottery by the group
Fired Up adorned the Pauling Center
March 8 -11. (Right) Gary Merkel
stands in back of one of his signature
porcelain teapots. Merkel said he
treats each teapot as a sculptural col­
lage.
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