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Group Show
Transformation
June 27-July 25, 2009
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The Frank Lloyd Gallery is pleased to announce a group exhibition of ceramic sculpture. Although the methods vary, all of the works in the exhibit are united by the theme of transformation by process. At times bold and dramatic, at other times subtle and spare, the structured works present the malleable medium of clay as it is transformed by the hand. Although individual approaches vary and surface treatments are diverse, that contrast demonstrates the plasticity of the medium.

Wouter Dam is represented by a recent abstract ceramic sculpture. He builds his monochromatic sculptures by twisting and joining fragments from curvaceous cylinders. The bending and flowing forms contain and define complex spaces that seem to defy gravity. Like Frank Gehry's architecture and Richard Serra's sculpture, these small-scale sculptures are both structured and organic.

Richard DeVore (1933-2006) worked around a central premise throughout his career. DeVore has explored ideas while working within a basic structure. His signature form involves a vessel, colored in earth or flesh tones, with an irregular rim, tapering into a rounded or flat base. Working within these parameters, DeVore creates a strikingly rich variety of work. His vessels may be deep or shallow, rugged or even, squat or svelte. A glance inside may reveal a smooth hollowed bottom, a doubled interior floor, or even a thin, membranous shelf. Likening DeVore's works to a crowd of people, Janet Koplos write that they are "recognizable as a species but amazing in their variety."

Satoru Hoshino makes hand formed vessels. Towering and spiraling from a small base, the works are at once indebted to process, and allude to the joining and flowing nature of the materials. All of the works in this show are made by the coiling process, a time-honored and direct method of forming clay. It is precisely this purposeful engagement of the hand and the material that makes the sculpture appealing, as the artist allows the process of forming and glazing to be his subject. The hand is a visible and prominent element in the works, and the viscous glaze pools and drips rhythmically on the interior and exterior of the works.

Cheryl Ann Thomas will be represented by a ceramic sculpture made by the coiling process. By allowing the construction to collapse and take accidental form during the firing, she has created a subtle and provocative work. The piece is a record of her interaction with the material, as she allows the process to be her subject. In addition, Thomas joins together multiple pieces to construct a sculpture.