CHELSEA, MA: ALL AMERICAN CITY

January 11 – February 8, 2018

Christensen Center Gallery

Artist Statement

My project is an ever evolving, multidimensional look at Chelsea, Massachusetts, the city where I live. It is the smallest city in Massachusetts, measuring just 2.5 square miles, yet has a population of at least 40 thousand people. Chelsea has historically been a landing spot for new immigrants which makes it a city continuously in flux. The project was initially conceived as a photographic exploration of the ordinary and everyday within this small dense urban environment but it has expanded into a narrative portrait of a specific place and time. Chelsea is a Sanctuary City and has also twice received the All America City Award from the National Civic League. At a time when immigrants are being demonized and the idea of ‘who is an American’ is fiercely contested it feels more vital than ever to explore and document overlapping layers of history, culture, and architecture, to try to define both a singular city in transition and my own personal sense of place.

Image: Orlando, Chelsea, MA, 2008, Gelatin Silver Print, 17×17

Chelsea, MA: all american city – q/a with artist

What inspired you to start this project?

I have always taken photos in and around Chelsea, but I became much more focused on the city in 2008. The project began with a series of urban landscapes and has expanded and evolved since then. As it progressed I became interested in visually exploring many different aspects (street portraits, vernacular architecture, interior space) of this unusual and unique place. The more I look at all of these different layers, the more I continue to be inspired by this place.

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How does this show speak for you as an artist besides it being the town you live in?

I think it summarizes a number of ideas and interests I’ve always brought to my personal work. Curiosity of people and place, the luxury of working on something without any fixed deadline, my interest in portraiture and landscapes as well as the use of black and white film. Also, working on something that is somewhat artistically uncomfortable and where the direction of the work is fluid or unknown.

How often did you take photos for this project?

I have no fixed working method or schedule but I tend to shoot more during the spring, summer and fall when the weather and light are more conducive. During those months how much I photographed varied from every day to a few times a week.

��How has this project changed in the 8-year process? What are your takeaways from making a long-term project such as this?

Initially my plan was to shoot the entire project with medium format black and white film but as it progressed I decided to include digital photographs, both with a DSLR and my cell phone. In addition, I also began collecting found papers and objects that I picked up off the street. Not everything ended up in the show at Augsburg, but they were all very much part of the process.

The takeaway is to be open and let the work take you in the direction that it takes you and not force it to go in a specific, preconceived or predetermined way. For me it’s important for a project to evolve organically and to allow for change. It’s more fun that way. I also feel it’s important to be flexible in your approach.

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How did you select what photos would be in the show?

Since most of the work was shot on film, I did what photographers have always done. I made contact sheets, edited them, made work prints from this edit and then re-edited the work prints. Then I made larger final prints, which were then edited down yet again to the final group that I’ve included in this show.

Part of the editing process was to see how the photos worked not only individually but as part of a much larger group. It is important that each photograph relate to and interact with the other photographs so that the sum total has more impact than any of them independently. My intention is to have the photos work with and inform each other.

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What were your interactions with the people of the town while taking these photos?

Since I was photographing strangers on the street I needed to work quickly. I would introduce myself, explain the project and then ask permission to take their photograph. Not everyone agreed, but I felt it was crucial for the kind of portraits I wanted to make to have permission first. I wanted these street portraits to be a collaboration between myself and the subjects. Later on I worked with a woman from Chelsea who spoke Spanish. This was a huge help, especially with people who were concerned about a stranger who didn’t speak their language wanting to take their photograph. Historically, Chelsea has always been a landing place for new immigrants to our country so this flux is an integral part of the city. It is deeply embedded in the fabric of this place.

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What do you hope the people of your town take from your view of them in this show?

I hope they see it as a subjective yet honest look at a complicated place.

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How do you think time will affect this show?

It’s hard to predict, but I think the work will hold up. It’s a multilayered visual document of a specific time and place but in some ways the urban environment and the people who live there are timeless.

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Who are the artists that inspire you?

There are many but for this project the portraits of Mary Ellen Mark and Milton Rogovin. Zoe Leonard and Lee Friedlander’s landscapes (particularly ‘Analogue’ and ‘Sticks and Stones: Architectural America’). William Eggleston was also a huge inspiration and influence.

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Will you continue to build from this piece as an ongoing project?

Even though I’m exhibiting a large portion of the work at Augsburg, it doesn’t feel completely finished. There are still things I want to photograph that I haven’t gotten around to or haven’t discovered yet. I’m not ready to stop work on this project; it’s still very exciting to me.

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What art projects do you have planned after this show?

A few ideas are percolating in my mind but nothing specific yet. I’m considering a series of urban and natural landscapes using a medium format panoramic film camera.

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What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Work on ideas or projects that you are passionate about and keep working long past the time when you think you’re ‘finished’. Don’t be in a rush to complete the work; it isn’t a race. The job of the artist is to ‘make stuff’ so enjoy the process and the journey. It’s the best part.

Questions by Gallery Intern Maria Fleischhacker

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Contain Yourself by Allison Craver

October 19 – November 9, 2017

Reception: Thursday, October 19, 6 – 8 p.m.

Through processes relying on endurance and care, Craver attempts to unravel the seemingly disparate images and observations that compel her: scar tissue, heavy blankets, capillary action, the warmth and weight of our bodies. The sculptures presented in Contain Yourself are the result of her labor.

Artist Statement

I want to articulate how material and form have the potential to simultaneously elicit tenderness, familiarity, and alienation. Through material investigation and labor intensive processes, my thoughts become sculpture.

I find comfort in making, physically manifesting contemplation through labor. Though a gesture of generosity, the process is also compulsive, carrying the weight of an obligation. I am continuously navigating this dichotomy, negotiating the needs of my work with my own capacity to give; I empathize with the nurse. I feel deeply connected to and profoundly detached from the things I make, like a vital organ tethered outside of my body.

Bio

Allison Rose Craver (1988) grew up in East Aurora, NY. She received an MFA from Ohio State University in 2017, and holds a BFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. Allison’s work is process driven, utilizing ceramics materials in conjunction with fiber and found objects to explore the nature of care and labor. She currently lives and makes in Saint Paul, MN.

Q&A with ALLISON CRAVER

What prompted your interest in creating work about the body?

My interest in the body revealed itself over time. In the beginning it was not a conscious pursuit. As I generated more and more work, however, the body was an obvious thematic pattern. I choose to embrace it. My personal history includes caregiving, and I have been witness to a great deal of physical pain. So, it makes sense that my work would reflect this preoccupation.

What is your process for choosing materials and the scale for a particular piece?

I usually start with a material that I am drawn to. Whether it is fiber or a specific clay body, I won’t understand its role in my studio practice until I have spent time playing with it and exploring all of its properties. This process could happen very quickly, or it might take many months of rumination. But eventually I will realize how the material relates to my conceptual interests, and a piece will follow. The process is very intuitive. In terms of scale, I often make work that relates to the size of my own body. I also appreciate making work that acknowledges my physical limitations; I am unlikely to make something that I can’t lift or move myself. I enjoy feeling autonomous, especially in the context of my studio.

To what extent do you plan out a piece before executing it?

While I might plan something in the beginning, this is usually just a strategy to get myself started. As soon as I begin working I am looking for moments that hold potential, and I am always open to changing the piece. The work is the result of a process – I can’t relate to the idea of ‘executing’ a piece. It would be more accurate to describe the idea as fuel: it gets burned off.

What research is informing your current work?

My work draws from my personal experiences and an eclectic mix of readings, observations, artworks, and stories. Research is important because it gives work context and keeps it relevant, but my work and research interests are not linear. I spent a lot of time in graduate school reading about nursing and other forms of caregiving. I was fascinated with Florence Nightingale.

What have you learned in the process of creating this work?

Preparing for this show has been challenging! I just graduated from Ohio State
University and moved across the country, so I have been learning about the challenges of working, living, and art-making outside of a structured academic setting.

How do you go about titling your pieces?

I spend time reading the dictionary, looking up words that seem relevant to a particular piece. I like pulling apart definitions and finding linguistic connections. I try to keep titles simple and let the works speak for themselves.

What is the most necessary and/or important item in your studio and why?

This is a really tough question! I can’t think of anything I couldn’t do without. I like to believe that my practice doesn’t rely on anything besides my hands and my curiosity.

How do you seek inspiration for a new series?

It is difficult for me to break my work into series or discrete investigations. Each piece builds on the last, and the work is a continuum. When I need inspiration I usually don’t have to look further than my studio table. If things feel stale, spending time in the world and reading will help me see older work from a fresh perspective. I am always making work about the same things – always trying to answer the same questions. Again and again.

Questions by Gallery Assistant Kristen Holmberg

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Bowing

Artist Statement

My practice is a meditation on time and its role in the decay of objects and memories. Inspiration is drawn from historical objects, the architecture around me, or a personal relationship. My processes are repetitive and labor intensive; I draw, construct, and weave using materials to depict fleeting, fragile moments and to examine the temporary physicality of an object or idea. I create work to find the beauty and the unrest in this temporal state.

Artist Bio

Kate Roberts is native of Greenville, South Carolina. She received both her MFA and BFA at Alfred University in 2015 and 2010 respectively. She has completed residencies at Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts in Helena, MT, Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, La Meridiana in Italy, and Le Cite International des Arts in Paris. Her work has been exhibited at the Tampa Art Museum in Tampa, FL and Everson Museum in Syracuse, NY; major exhibitions include the 69^th Scripps Ceramic Annual, the 2011 and 2015 NCECA Biennial, and Ceramic Top 40. She is currently a Lecturer of Ceramics at University of Washingto

BOWING – Q/A with artist

Has clay/porcelain always been your preferred media?

Yes! I have been working with clay since I was in high school. I fell in love with its ability to be manipulated into anything. It’s just dirt.��It can be hard, soft, rough, wet, vitreous, and all of these qualities can come together to make a beautiful piece. I have been working with porcelain specifically since my senior year of undergrad.

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How do you feel your style is evolving?

It is becoming looser and more abstract in its imagery. I am allowing the nature of the material to��dictate what will happen.

When do you know when you are finished with a piece?

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For the Frill of It

November 11 – December 20, 2016

Reception: November 11, 6 – 8 p.m. – ��

Cohen’s ceramic installation references clay roof tiles, using something practical as a springboard to make something impractical — ruffled tiles.�� In For the Frill of It, Cohen questions the definition of value, what is useful and important, and ideas of luxury and excess.

Artist Statement

As a ceramic artist, I am committed to exploring clay as an expressive material. Its tactile quality, rich history, and utilitarian, sculptural, and decorative applications continually inspire me.��For the Frill��of It��references clay roof tiles, a practical springboard to make something impractical — ruffled tiles.

This project began as a daydream over a year ago. I imagined myself very small and standing under a giant ballerina’s tutu. Surrounded and enveloped by her tutu, I was swept by the beauty of her skirt. It wasn’t until I revisited this daydream that I began to recognize the strength, power, and grace of the ballerina.

In the studio, ideas of luxury and excess and how they translate through fashion and dress initially inspired my research. Through a reductive process in which I removed more and more information, a ruffled tile remained. As I began constructing the ruffles and testing fit and installation methods, the similarity to clay roof tiles was evident. The connection to a roof, its purpose to provide protection, added layers to the ruffles, not only in physical assembly but in meaning. This association deepened my exploration of what is viewed as feminine and masculine and how they support and/or oppose one another.

The production of the tiles was systematic. The repetitive tasks and months of studio time allowed for an internal dialogue about investment of time and effort, practicality, and triviality. As the work increased in size and scope, it began to take on a life of its own and I no longer questioned my commitment to it or its value.

For the Frill of It��has been a transformative journey. Through the enormity of the project and commitment required, I continually examined and reflected on my evolving relationship to the work. My hope with this work is to impart warmth, softness, and strength.

This project was made possible by the support of friends and family for which I am truly grateful. I wish to thank Jenny Wheatley for her trust, support, and encouragement and Peter Hannah for his expertise, guidance, and assistance. In addition, I would like to thank Katie Smith, Linda Dobosenki, Anne Wendland, Seth Eberle, Brian Antonich, Sarah Ostrum Reis, Stacie Schlomer Totzke, Kimberlee Joy Roth, Trygve Nordberg, Alyssa Baguss, and others who graciously donated their time and effort to make this project happen.

-Eileen Cohen

Q&A with Eileen Cohen

Where did you find the inspiration for this project?

A few ideas played into the conception of this piece. I knew I wanted to use the wall and create work with a strong visual impact. I was thinking about fabric moving on or off the wall, about molding and how it is used to hide or conceal seams and dress up a space, and about ruffles and tutus. Further, the connection to ceramics as a material and its history was an important factor and consideration. The work references roof tiles and makes a connection back to clay as a humble material, one with function and purpose. I questioned the purpose of making ruffled tiles to make a pretty wall and the value of doing it,��For the Frill of It, so to speak. The journey has been invaluable and full of unexpected lessons.

What are some of the challenges you faced while creating?

I spent several months testing what size and shape to make tiles and how to install them on a wall. The scale of the project grew beyond my original conception leading to storage issues, time constraints, cost, etc. I have a small workspace and quickly max out space, impacting production.

How have the quantity of tiles and repetition that goes into creating each individual tile contributed to your experience and the meaning of this piece as a whole?

I enjoyed the repetition. The repetitive action is a practice or discipline. It helped set goals for how I used my time in the studio and kept me focused and goal-oriented. The quantity of tiles made me question the practicality of this project and ask questions about how I spend my time, effort and money.�� I struggled with acceptance of my idea and the value of doing it but at a certain point I fully committed. In the end, it was completely worthwhile and a valuable pursuit.

How have people responded to this project so far?

Overwhelmingly supportive. Curious. Interested.

What message would you like the viewer to take away from this installation?

I wanted to create a warm, soft, feminine space. I hope the viewer stands in awe of it for a moment.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Trust yourself. Commit to your ideas. Ask for help. Plan ahead. Ask questions.

Questions by Gallery Assistant Katie Smith

FOR THE FRILL OF IT Images

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Unquiet Territories

November 7 – December 20, 2016

Reception: November 11, 6 – 8 p.m. –

Working with watercolor on paper, Kroul creates dense organic formations from small shapes and patterns. Inspired by memories, neural pathways and natural elements, these map-like rhythmic structures are landscapes of the mind.

UNQUIET TERRITORIES – Q/a with artist

When did you begin working with watercolor?

I began working with watercolor as a primary medium 15 years ago. I was pregnant with my first child, and I wanted to keep working consistently without the use of toxic materials and fumes. Before this I had painted with oil paints on canvas.

How do geometric shapes relate to your personal memories? What shape and color does a positive memory tend to form in your mind? What shape and color do you use to depict negative memories?

In this body of work, I am using the geometric shape less for its meaning and more as a tool. To me it works as a unit of imagery, like a line or a brushstroke. It is a unit of visual language and also a unit of time, a building block building a larger image from tiny shapes. The color, however, is more specific and meaningful. I love color. I find that color is strongly connected to moments and impressions. For example, blues are the sea of my childhood in Israel and greens are the lush vegetation of Costa Rica, where I lived as a teen.

Are you willing to share with us a specific memory that is included in this exhibition?

The 12-panel piece that is purple with green and yellow depicts the following memory:��The small black vertical lines that seem to be tangled and flowing downwards represent my great aunt’s braids. She was my grandmother’s twin sister. Her name was Judith, and she died of typhus at age 23 in a concentration camp in Jurin, Ukraine, in 1945. Throughout her life, my grandmother kept those braids wrapped in silk in a drawer by her bed and was eventually buried with them. To me this image represents loss, of course, but also continuity, hope, and memory as an active living companion.

What is the most difficult part of the process for you?

The beginning and the end of each piece are the most difficult, in the sense that I am doubting myself. In the very beginning: how to begin, what colors to use, and what overall shape? In the end: when to end, how much is enough, and what will tip the image over the edge and ruin the thing?

What is your favorite part of the process?

Every part of the process is both challenging and fun.

Who are some of your major artistic influences?

I am inspired by a range of artists and art practices: from Rothko and Frankenthaler��(for the monumentality of their work and their belief in the emotional universality of color); to Guston and Amy Sillman (painters working at the cross of abstraction and figuration); to traditional world crafts like textiles and tiles (for their use of specific geometry and intense saturated color.)

What advice would you give to emerging artists?

a) Have a source of income that is not your studio work. b) Show up to your studio practice as often as you can.

What is next for you?

Artistically, I am moving on from the geometric imagery into more representational/specific imagery and looking into the possibility of moving away from the wall. What would that look like? Professionally, I am exploring more exhibition venues and teaching opportunities.

Questions by Gallery Assistant Katie Smith

UNQUIET TERRITORIES –��images

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TErra Firma

August 29 – October 27, 2016

Reception: September 16, 6-8 p.m.

In this exhibition of new drawings and sculpture, Vossler reflects on the narrative of Dante’s Inferno, specifically exploring how the metaphor of water functions as both a connective element and a source of danger.

Bio

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WHAT WE HAVE TO LOSE

August 29 – October 27, 2016

Reception: September 16, 6-8 p.m.

Artist Statement

A marriage of embellishment and utilitarian object is the inspiration behind my oeuvre: that is to create utilitarian non-traditionally shaped ceramic serving platters that maintain a curvilinear edge throughout the form and which reference historical decorative motifs. Today’s contemporary ceramics include figurative forms and abstract sculpture, utilitarian ware and architectural and decorative tile. My work is wall sculpture that is still functional; it can be used to also contain and serve food. I see it as a bridge between decorative tile and utilitarian ware and as a vehicle for beginning a communication between these two disparate uses of the same material.

Bio

Kimberlee Joy Roth graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with an MFA in Ceramics and an Art History minor in 2007. Her fall 2012 solo exhibition at St. Catherine University’s Catherine G. Murphy Gallery in St. Paul, MN raised $1,143 for The Algalita Marine Research Institute in Long Beach, California.

She is a 2013 McKnight Artist Fellow in Ceramics and a Fiscal Year 2016 and 2011 recipient of an Artist Initiative Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. Her ceramic work is in the permanent collection of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, MN, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, 71 France Apartments, Edina, Minnesota and the Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation in Lincoln, California. Her work has been shown nationally in juried ceramic exhibitions.

She maintains a studio in the Northeast Arts District of Minneapolis and is the Technician for the Art and Art History Department and The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery at St. Catherine University.

Kimberlee Joy Roth is a fiscal year 2016 recipient of an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Robert Silberman is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Minnesota, where he teaches courses on the history of cinema and other subjects. He received his Ph.D. in English Literature from Columbia University. He was senior advisor for the 1999 PBS series American Photography: A Century of Images and, with Vicki Goldberg, co-author of the companion volume. A regular contributor to the Burlington Magazine, he has curated exhibitions on art, photography, and ceramics, including six exhibitions at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, most recently Out of the Labyrinth: Contemporary Mexican Ceramics. The many ceramic artists he has written about include Warren MacKenzie, Gail Kendall, Ken Price, Amy Sabrina, and Randy Johnston.

WHAT WE HAVE TO LOSE – q/a with artist

Could you briefly explain your process for us?

The end goal is to have work with curvilinear edges and interiors having singular, or multiple, distinct concave sections. The outside edge of the work is drawn onto paper and then transferred to either Styrofoam or clay. The interior and sides are then carved. If the piece is clay, it is fired to cone 022. I then make a plaster multipart mold and use that to make the final slip cast porcelain forms.

How do the ideas and creation process start and how do you know when you’re done?

I look at a lot of artwork, keep up with current events and try to learn from what I think are successful art forms as to how their political and environmental issues are represented, distilled and communicated successfully. As an artist I’m never done; each previous installation supports the next and sparks more ideas.

What originally inspired you to bridge the gap between utilitarian ware and wall sculpture?

It evolved over a number of years. I initially wanted to move away from round forms made on the potter’s wheel and started slip casting. Slip casting naturally led to making a large number of the same form, and then it again came naturally to place the work into repetitive patterns. The negative spaces created between the pieces are quite lovely, so I experimented and played with making forms whose negative and positive spaces looked balanced and made an interesting composition.

��Who are some of your major artistic influences?

Eva Zeisel and Richard Notkin

I noticed that you include some glaze recipes on your website. What tips might you have for people looking to experiment with creating their own original glaze recipes but aren’t quite sure where to start?

Go to the library and look at glaze books or look on-line for a glaze you like, and then make a 500 gram batch. Glaze a small cup and bowl with it. Test it in both oxidation and reduction. Then, take out the oxide colorant and see what the base glaze is like. If the base glaze seems promising, that is you like the way it feels or looks, then test the base with a variety of different oxides and percentages of oxides. An example would be to make a 200 gram batch and add 1% of an oxide, dip in a test tile, label it, then add another 1% for a 2% test, then another 2% for a 4% test, and then another 4% for an 8% test and see what the glaze looks like on these 4 test tiles. I’ve made hundreds of glaze tests, but the best glazes I have are from trying new oxide blends in tried and true base glazes.

��What is your favorite part of the ceramic process?

Designing the forms and laying out the finished work into a pattern.

Could you tell us a bit about your educational experiences? What led you to originally pursue a science degree and then later pursue an art degree?

Everyone has choices to make throughout their life; each choice leads to a different path. I made a choice during high school to pursue a Math and Physics degree because it came easy to me and it was safe. I knew I would be able to get a teaching job after college and be secure and self-reliant as a single woman in the 1990s. But teaching high school became redundant and I needed to challenge myself. At first I was planning to get my PhD in Physics, but a few key choices and a hard look at what made me content and happy led me back to school for art. I always had the peace of mind that if things did not work out I had my Physics and Math degree to fall back on. I know I made the right choice because of how happy and challenged I am when I am in my studio.

How does your math and science background come into play with your artwork?

My science and math training taught me perseverance to solve problems. I am used to getting things wrong the first few times and working through ideas to find a reasonable solution. I think to myself – we humans have created a variety of complex and amazing inventions, I can figure out how to solve this or that problem within my ceramics – it’s not as if I’m making a rocket to go to the moon or an integrated circuit from square one. Along with this tenacious attitude, my science background has taught me confidence and experimental skills, both of which I use while pushing the boundaries of the ceramics medium to its physical limitations and in glaze calculation. I consider my ceramics studio a chemistry and engineering lab.

What else can you tell us about your exhibition��What We Have To Lose��that we might not get from your artist statement or simply by viewing the work?

It’s harder to make small turtles and snails then it is to make the larger tiles and top pieces.

What tips do you have for artists trying to minimize their environmental impact while still being able to effectively create work and get a message across?

Try not to use plastic, synthetic fabric or other materials refined from crude oil. Then use whatever is the best material to get your ideas across.

��What is next for you?

I am developing new forms and glaze colors, and working simultaneously with another slip body. I also have ideas for other tile forms with incised imagery. I work best if I follow ideas down varying and multiple paths, keep experimenting and allow every kiln to be a sort of test.

Questions by Gallery Assistant Katie Smith

WHAT WE HAVE TO LOSE –��images

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Deciphering Nebulas

January 12 – March 26, 2015

Jeanine Hill presents various works including drawings, ceramics, and an installation. These works are inspired by the transformations of line into form, land into sky, and stars and planets into universes. This collection depicts a state of constant becoming.

Artist Statement

The works that I am currently making are three-dimensional maps of the literal and metaphoric terrains that I have traveled.�� Within my work, form stands with purpose and content lies within the context of my life experiences.�� It is through the examination of personal history and the construction and reconstruction of this history’s landscape that I am able to��decipher��my own mysteries through the morphology of clay.

Artist Bio

Jeanine Hill was born in Alcalde, New Mexico on a Pueblo reservation where she and her family were surrounded by vast orchards and high canyon walls. Her first exposure to the arts was early on when her father began taking photographs of the traditional Pueblo ceremonies by day and working with wood by night. She was taught the value of storytelling by her mother, who used words to shape the world. Jeanine’s��own making and storytelling practices were forged out of hours of being lost in the woods of Vermont, and sharing stories with her siblings.

Q&A with Jeanine Hill

What is the main focus of inspiration��for the pieces included in this exhibition?

I have spent the last two years working on the pieces for this show. In this time I have traveled quite a bit, and the extensive traveling has been an inspiration. But I would have to say that the greatest influence or inspiration for the work is the experience of landscape, the role it plays in our lives, and the way in which place enables us to not only understand who and where we are but also to navigate our world in a more grounded way.

How would you describe your creative process?

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I usually work in shifts. Because my studio practice involves a wide variety of materials, I rarely work with multiple materials at the same time. Working this way allows me to deeply focus on the material at hand and the processes required. A year of my artistic life will often involve six to eight months of working in clay, three months of drawing, and perhaps a month or two working with textiles. That being said, there could be a year that doesn’t look like this at all and I spend the whole year throwing pots or drawing. It all depends on where I am emotionally and physically at the time.

Where did your initial attraction to examining your path in life as a visual record stem from?

I come from a long line of storytellers and within this history there are diverse ethnic backgrounds that come into play. Storytelling and the making of artwork have played a tremendous role in my family’s history. I think that coming from such a diverse background as I do, as well as all of the moving and traveling I have done in my life, have required me to be constantly reflective. The consistent examination of who I am as a human being allows who I am to remain in a state of constant flux, which I suppose in some ways allows the change to not be so difficult.

What��message do��you want to get across to viewers through your art?

I don’t know that there is a specific message I am hoping to get across. I simply hope that in the telling of my story, it enables the viewers to see their own story within the work as well, that perhaps my work is simply a window or door into their own lives.

What are some of your artistic influences?

I am drawn to well-crafted, process oriented work that shows the presence of the hand in the work. So within this realm I would say that one of my biggest influences is Lee Bontecou. As an artist she possesses a strong integrity to craft and content, and it shows in the work. I am also deeply influenced by the work of Georgia O’Keefe. I find it refreshing to look at works of art that speak of beauty. Lastly, I would have to say I am heavily inspired by Karen Karnes. Her later, more sculptural works possess a strong sense of the unknown, while still trying to name the mystery of existence through the use of the hands.

You describe your work as “relics of visually constructed memory.” What influence does this kind of recordkeeping have in your day-to-day life?

I believe strongly in the recording of life so I carry a pen and journal wherever I go. There is something deeply personal about writing down notes that document your life, not so much so that you can go back and read it but to simply become acquainted with pausing throughout your day to witness and reflect. By witnessing and reflecting on my life through the written work and other materials such as clay, I am able to put it outside of myself and move on.

Would you say you are striving to create a visual diary?

No, not a diary, a visual landscape yes. A few years back I read this amazing book called the “Anatomy of the Spirit.” In the book the author talks a lot about how our bodies become a biological landscape of both our physical and emotional lives and that everything we go through both physically and emotionally affects our physiology. In essence we become a walking landscape. When I think of the work I am making, I suppose I think of it in a similar way. It is a visual landscape of my work, and one piece could be based on one particular moment or nine years of my life.

What are some of the reactions you have received from people viewing your work?

I have heard from quite a few people that they see my work as being fairly poetic and quiet.��

What is one thing you have learned about yourself as an artist in creating these works?

I have learned that it is helpful if I have time and space to slowly create the work, one piece after another. If I am able to sit with all of the work for a prolonged period, slowly, I am able to see how the pieces should fit together, who are the characters, and what the story is that needs to be told.

What kind of experiences do you draw��from for inspiration?

I draw from all of my experiences, both the good and the bad. All of it is meaty and offers substance that can be used as inspiration.

How long did it take you to develop your own style?

I am still creating it.

Most of your ceramic pieces are rounded, organic, and flowing shapes. Is there a specific meaning behind this?

I suppose when I think of the human body and the movement of landscapes, I think of soft, organic shapes.

Does your work on one project often lead to the inspiration of your next endeavor?

I do my best to not take too much down time in between projects, so the short answer is yes. But I would also like to believe that because it is my hand that is making the work, there will always be a consistent line of thought between the vast expanses.

What’s next?

Keep making, making, making. It is all in the work.

Questions by gallery intern Johanna Goggins.

DECIPHERING NEBULAS Images

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all that glitters

Exhibition Dates:��January 12 – March 12, 2015

Closing Reception:��Thursday, March 12, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

For Boulay’s installation of over 1,000 gold paperback book covers, he collected pulp and popular fiction paperbacks with gold-embossed elements and meticulously painted the remainder of each cover gold. The work raises questions about value, taste and permanence.

Artist Bio

Roger Boulay is originally from Massachusetts. He earned an MFA from the University of New Mexico in 2011. He moved to the region in 2013 and now lives and works in Winona, Minnesota with his partner and two dogs. He has exhibited his work nationally.

Artist Statement

My work is about transition, precariousness and beauty. My current work uses books to investigate notions of instability and erosion. In this work, stories are layered upon one another, visible in fragments that collide and connect. I am exploring literal and metaphorical entropy at the intersection of language and material culture. For the last eight months I have been working on a site-specific installation. This piece involves over 1,200 popular fiction paperback book covers. Each cover has been selected because it contains gold-embossed lettering. I paint around each gold element with gold paint so that the entire book cover is covered in gold. It is detailed and methodical work. I am curious to see how erasing or camouflaging gold with itself could make the viewer think about the cultural and monetary value we associate with both gold and popular fiction.

#RBallthatglitters

ALL THAT GLITTERS – q/a with artist

First I want to thank the Augsburg Art Department, Jenny Wheatley and her staff for accepting my exhibition application and being very gracious hosts. I also want to thank my family, Harvey, Shirley, Dekker, Charlotte and Brian for their support. A big thank you to Janet Hawkes, Rod Hawkes, Joan Lawrence and Joyce Lawrence, who helped me obtain a good chunk of the books for the piece. Kate Hawkes, my partner, has been wonderfully supportive and inhaled way too many gold paint fumes because of me and is a great accomplice in all things art and in life. – Roger Boulay

Where did the books come from?

The books came almost entirely from library book sales, where I could purchase fifty or sixty books for a few dollars. I also bought a few lots of books off of ebay to obtain specific genres for the piece that I couldn’t find at library book sales.

Have you read these books?

I have read a few of these books previous to making the piece. One hope I have is that viewers will identify certain books they’ve read in the piece and then have a connection to a few of the stories alluded to in the work.

What was the selection process for the books used?

The piece is made entirely of paperback works of fiction. I selected books that had some gold element on the cover, often embossed gold text. A book had to have a gold element on the cover and be fiction to be in the piece. Some books appear more than once.

How did you assemble them?

The covers are glued to each other. I used the backs of many of the covers to attach the piece together. First I made fourteen 3′ x 5′ rectangular panels and then attached those panels together and filled in around them to create the final composition.

What will you do with the text pages of the books?

I am not entirely sure yet, but I have some ideas for a sculpture or to reform the text pages into a recycled paper.

Can you explain the similarities and differences that “All That Glitters” and your previous exhibition titled “Pulp” share with one another?

Both bodies of work use paperback fiction as a starting point. Both projects are about erasure and disappearing. My process for some of the work in “Pulp” is a little different in that I’ve photographed some covers or pages to create larger panels that make shifts in scale or accentuate markings. “All that Glitters” is made exclusively out of actual book covers. Both projects reference building facades. Both works are about deterioration and change.

“All that Glitters” is different in that I’m concentrating on the possible meanings and associations of a particular color (gold) and how it relates to the mash-up of genres and time-periods and stories of the books in the piece.

Why did you organize the books into the shape you did?

On a basic level, I designed the piece for the Christensen Gallery. I didn’t make a piece that was thirty feet tall, because it obviously wouldn’t have worked for the space.

I want the shape of the piece to have different associations. For example, to me it references the periodic table, a fragment of a building facade or a big pile of gold bars.

What is your favorite genre to work with?

I enjoyed working with pulp fiction because the stories are so strange and the covers are really unique.

What kind of recurring themes did you find while working with the covers?

A lot of the titles use cliché in a specific way. There are tropes of particular genres such as the “damsel in distress” on the front of romance novels. By painting around the blonde or “golden hair” on these covers, it becomes more ambiguous as to who is male and female. That particular trope gets put into question.

What are some of your artistic influences?

I was thinking about the work of artists like Annette Messager, El Anatsui, Robert Heinecken, Adrienne Salinger, Patrick Manning and Mark Bradford while I worked on this project, all for different reasons. I also watched and rewatched a lot of Law and Order (the original series) while I worked on the piece.

What would you like the audience to take away from your show?

I hope people have an enjoyable visual experience and make connections to certain titles and text or some of the bits and pieces I didn’t paint gold that are floating through the piece. One of the strengths of this particular gallery is the ease with which the viewer can see things from a distance and also up close. I hope this enriches the experience of the work. I also hope the piece makes people think about value and how we assign value.

What would you like future generations to take away from this artwork if it is rediscovered a century from now?

That is a difficult question. I guess I wonder if print media will have mostly disappeared by then so this piece will speak to a particular moment of transition in our culture. I also hope the piece will describe how we constructed narrative and thought about color in some ways. Hopefully we are still around in a century…

Questions by gallery intern Megan Bartylla.

ALL THAT GLITTERS –��images

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Flow Chart: drift

November 4 – December 18, 2014

Artist Talk: November 3, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Oren Gateway Center, Room 113

The pop-infused, mixed media installations of Joe Page’s “Flow Chart” series propose landscapes that are both physically interactive��environments��and distant cartographical maps. Fluctuating pathways, points, and vibrant color fields sprawl in all directions, propelling the viewer along an immersive journey of varied rhythm, scale, and space within the gallery.

Artist Bio

Joe Page received his BA in Studio Art from Knox College in Galesburg, IL and his MFA in Ceramic Art from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University. He currently lives and works in Edwardsville, IL where he is head of ceramics at Southern Illinois University.

Artist Statement

The escapist allure of immersive environments drives my work, orienting the viewer in a place of comfort and curiosity. The vibrant colors, reductive imagery, and illustrated movements within the “Flow Chart” series of installations are deceptively simple, derivative of early video games, pinball machines, mass transit maps, and schematic diagrams. Within this framework, one soon begins to uncover the world’s underpinnings: a rules-based system of sculptural parameters, compositional logic, and spatial relationships.

Hours:��M – F, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Sat. & Sun. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Image: Flow Chart: Vortex, porcelain, vinyl, polystyrene, mdf, wire, 2014

FLOW CHART: DRIFT – Q/A with artist

How did you get interested in working with the materials you use?

I attended Knox College in Galesburg, IL, which is very similar to Augsburg. I��took a ceramics class to fulfill a fine arts requirement and was hooked on the vast potential of clay. It can be made to record every gesture of the hand or none at all. Clay acts as a conceptual springboard that I then translate into other materials: wood, polystyrene foam, and vinyl in the case of the “Flow Chart” series.

There are almost no sharp edges in your work and a good deal of repetition. What is the purpose of this?

The bubble represents an endless source of new variations and themes emanating from the same form. I would say there’s an obsessiveness in wanting to explore every possibility within a fairly limited formal framework. There’s a tension in that��uniformity of visual language that looks digitally or mass-produced, but you’ll see that no form is repeated exactly the same way twice.�� The work is modular, kit-based, like a set of Legos in that it can be assembled an infinite number of ways from a finite number of parts.

In one instance you describe your work as both��comforting and cloying, sincere and cynical. Describe how these opposites are broadcasted in��your��work.

 

I’d compare the viewing experience of my work to a tropical cruise or a trip to the candy store: colorful, energizing, and artificial.�� Tropical cruises and candy are wonderful treats, but eventually you need to return to something more substantial. The work offers a statement on both the benefits and limitations of escaping from reality.

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What would you like your viewer to walk away with when leaving your exhibit?

If the work offers a bit of respite and visual nourishment during their day, I think I’ve been successful.

What have the reactions to your installation work been so far?

Visitors usually say that the work brightens their day and gives them a boost of energy.�� It really is like an endorphin rush.

Have you ever thought of designing a pinball machine or video game based on your installations?

I reference a great deal of pinball machines and video games when I speak about my work. It would be great to collaborate with someone to make that influence flow in the other direction.

Do you consider your work to be a landscape?

The work strives to be an immersive environment to navigate and take refuge in, essentially the real world run through an extreme aesthetic filter.��This environment comprised solely of circles and straight lines is utopian and authoritarian in nature; one absent of any visual language that cannot follow these rules. Lately I’ve added interactive elements to the environments, engaging viewers in a physical dialogue with the work rather than just a visual one.

What things from today’s digital culture inspire you?

I’m heartened by the renaissance of pixel-graphics, particularly in the indie game scene. The mosaic-like visual language of the pixel began to fade as the hardware pushed digital imagery toward polygonal graphics, so it’s great to see that pixel art still has a lot of potential to be mined. I’m also fascinated by the ways that vast amounts of data are streamlined into visually comprehensible and often quite beautiful imagery. Data visualization is one of the best examples of synergy between the visual arts and the sciences that I can think of in today’s world.

Questions by Gallery Intern Megan Bartylla

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FLOW CHART: DRIFT –��images

 

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