Heated Exchange

In conjunction with the 2012 Alabama Clay Conference, the Alabama School of Fine Arts will host a an exhibit of the conference’s main presenters. “Heated Exchange” will feature the work of ceramic artists Sergei Isupov, Lorna Meaden, and Chris Gryder. The show runs reception from January 26 to February 24 with a reception for the artists February 17 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The illustrious presenters need little introduction to many ceramic enthusiasts. Sergei Isupov, one of the world’s most famous and loved ceramic artists, has been thrilling viewers for decades with this meticulous, surreal, figurative sculpture. Born in the Ukraine, Isupov studied art at universities in Kiev and Estonia before emigrating to the United States in the early 1980s. His work is in museum collections around the globe, and he lectures and gives workshops world-wide. Isupov now resides in Massachusets, and is represented by Ferrin Gallery. ALCC is honored to present his work, and his fun-loving personality promises to both entertain and instruct during his presentation/demonstration.

With her elegant and sensuous vessels, Lorna Meaden’s puts her own spin on historical ornamentation and celebrates the practical use of everyday, utilitarian objects. “Handmade pots are potent in their power to reveal the extraordinary, within the ordinary,” she says. She contrasts elements of extravagant embellishment with a rough-hewn, home-spun, sensibility. One of America’s most popular potters, Meaden exhibits in galleries and museums nationwide. She has been a resident at the most prestigious art instruction centers in the country, and currently resides in Durango, Colorado where she calls herself a studio potter.

Chris Gryder, from Roanoke, Virginia, offers with his work a completely unique technical process that is as inspiring as his work. Using a casting process with silt he is able to capture totally unique surfaces for his large relief tile installations. His forms are suggestive of botanical and mechanical imagery, melded together in orderly and harmonious arrangements. Gryder’s large-scale tile installations are placed in collections and institutions nationwide.

The exhibit will be one of the highlights of this year’s conference. For more information contact Scott Bennett at scott@reddotgallery.com. Also visit the Alabama Clay Conference website at www.alclayconference.org.