Tom Bartel
I explore the human form as representational subject matter, manipulated to explore charged topics such as fertility, mortality, identity, sexuality, beauty, and our attitudes toward them. I see ceramics as a tool for confrontation where artists use this ancient and plastic media to make commentaries about the predicament of the human condition.
The body is a charged subject that continues to be an appropriate vehicle to ask some of life’s most challenging questions. I take cues from research ranging from antiquity to current, popular culture and my work is constructed to refer to stylized, surrogates for the body such as dolls, toys, and figurines. I am interested in the fragmentation, simplification, and exaggeration of human form, especially how these decisions may elicit engagement and empathy. The notion of “the fragment” is both powerful and timely. It can be argued that the figure is given legitimacy as a subject by having something missing from it. Within this context, I invite the viewer to consider that which is absent, modified, or “abnormal” as being significant as that which is usually present or “normal”.
My attraction to heavily worn surfaces is a by-product of growing up within a mid-western rust belt landscape where I viewed such surfaces as being formally beautiful while also serving as a poignant reminder about how everything is affected by the passage of time. I develop surfaces by layering and washing away varying degrees of vitreous slip, glaze, underglaze, terra sigillata, and oxides. Using material and process, I aim to reinforce the content of my work through its outermost “skin”. Within this context, I view the marks I make on the figure as corporeal signs for the many ways humans are affected by the passage of time and the accumulation of experiences.
A lifetime of creative work devoted to examining the cycle of life, rites of passage, fertility, and mortality has provided me with a continual source of motivation. This is all the more personal after becoming a parent, and while I observe myself and those around me, age.
Rachel Clark
I am deeply intrigued by people—their stories, their histories, and the intricate narratives that their faces can reveal through portraiture. I embarked on a playful exploration of inventing portraits that reflect a paradoxical inner world, capturing raw and sometimes grotesque human moments akin to a sudden sneeze or scream. Through these invented characters, I weave tales inspired by humorous childhood memories, American stereotypes, and imaginary companions.
One of my most cherished narratives revolves around a group of drag queens who affectionately dubbed me their "token mom friend" - "Queen". Another story follows a serene Nordic blonde duo who pursue professional wrestling. I pondered the challenge of capturing expressions like a death metal howl, an intense yawn, or a scream—faces frozen in those fleeting, emotive moments, adorned with sunburns, bulging eyes, and open mouths. I was particularly drawn to viewing such expressions from a child's perspective—gazing up at a yawning or sneezing adult.
Beneath my work's unconventional exterior lies a profound respect for the rich history of painted portraiture, albeit hidden beneath layers of defiant formal choices that break conventional rules. The oversized faces boldly occupy the picture plane, often engaging the viewer with a confrontational gaze or appearing trance-like, lost in contemplation or horror. The square format evokes a yearbook-like collection, adding to the sense of narrative playfulness and whimsy—accentuated at times by the inclusion of googly eyes.
