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I am continuously fascinated by the
concept of duality. Duality of course, refers to two things which
are intrinsically bound together, made of the same stuff. Yet those
things are also inherently in opposition with each other. This is
nothing new. Such things as lightness and darkness, and day and
night, can only exist by acknowledgement of their oppositions and
duality. But what I find most interesting is the way that we define
one side of the duality is by describing what it is not. In other
words, we can only know a thing by defining its opposite. How is
it possible to describe what lightness is, for instance, without
referring to the concept of darkness, or to describe what rigidity
is without describing softness? These thoughts are my starting point
in the act of creating.
There are many types of dualities in my work. Look
closely and you will find, not just the obvious binaries of male
and female drawings on opposing sides of my clay vessels, but also
subtler means of communicating my fascination with this two folded
view of life. It is my goal that by creating multiple layers of
dualities I can develop provocative narratives in each piece.
I often use written text in the form of cartoon-like
word bubbles, or notation-like scribbling to give the viewer clues
into the unfolding stories. People I know become quirky child like
representations of themselves, and fodder for true or completely
bogus tales. I like to think of my work as “sweet and spicy”;
not too much of either, with a good dash of humor. There is an uncertain
sense of edginess or mystery that offers the viewer just enough
information, so that they can extrapolate his or her own stories.
As an artist, and as
a member of a historically marginalized group, I find that I tend
toward nontribalism. Rather than creating art that speaks of love
or victimization of African Americans, I speak of the problems underlying
the recognition of difference. I work on a personal, intimate level
that encourages an almost private investigation of the objects that
I make. This act of confrontation that encourages only a single
viewer with a single object sets up a dialog, in the nature of subject-to-object
relationships and becomes a metaphor for the concept of otherness.
Education
2003- Master
of Fine Arts in CeramicsUniversity of Florida, School of Art and
Art History Gainesville, Florida
1996- Concentration & Summer StudentPenland School of Crafts
Penland, North CarolinaStudied with Ron Dale, Brad Schwieger, Mckenzie
Smith Terry Gess
1994- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics with Drawing MinorCleveland
Institute of Art Cleveland, Ohio
1990-91- Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio
Teaching &ProfessionalExperience
2004
Visiting Artist
in Residence Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio Fall semester
lecturer and working artist
2 Day Workshop Rhode Island School of Design, Fall semester, slide
presentation, demos and graduate critiques
2003-04
Artist in Residence Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MassachusettsMarie
P. Cowen Fellowship recipient
2004
Instructor Worcester Center for Crafts, Worcester, MassachusettsBeginning
Wheel Work
2002
Instructor University of Florida, Gainesville, FloridaCeramics:
Form and Surface, handbuilding ceramic vessels, Fall 2002 GTA assignment
2001
Fine Arts College Council Representative for the University of Florida’s
student run Potters’ Guild
Resident Artist Artist-Invite-Artists Watershed Center for the Ceramic
Arts, New Castle, Maine
1999
Adjunct Professor The University of Akron, Akron, OhioCeramics II,
Beginning wheeling throwing class for undergraduate students
1998-99
Ceramics Teacher Cleveland School of the Arts, Artist-in-Residence
ProgramCleveland Public School System, Cleveland, OhioDeveloped
and taught curriculum for studio based classes in pottery and sculpture
for grades 6th-10th
1995-99
Teaching Assistant Cuyahoga Community College, Cleveland OhioIndividual
work with ceramics students, maintenance of ceramic shop
Awards & Distinctions
2003-04
Marie P. Cowen Fellowship in Ceramics Worcester Center for Crafts,
Worcester Massachusetts
2000-03
Graduate Minority Fellowship University of Florida, Gainesville,
Florida
2000
Director’s Choice Award Cain Park Arts Festival, Cleveland
Heights, Ohio
2000
Katherine and Lee Chilcote Foundation Award Drawn Together Exhibition,
Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
1994
Scholarship
Recipient Summer Workshop, Michael Simon Cleveland Institute of
Art, Cleveland, Ohio
1994
Gund Competition Candidate Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland,
Ohio
1993
Annette MacNeil Watson Award Cleveland Institute of Art, Ceramics
Merit Award, Cleveland, Ohio
1992
OX-BOW Fellowship
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Summer program, Saugatauk,
Michigan
1991
Full Scholarship Recipient Blossom Summer Workshop Kent State University,
Kent, Ohio. Program with Kirk Mangus, Marie Woo & John Gill
1990
June Sherrow Award Excellence in Drawing, Cleveland State UniversitySelectedExhibitions
2005
Lillstreet Art Center Chicago, IllinoisThe Contemporary Cup Curated
by Ralph Scala
2005
Florida Craftsmen inc. St Petersburg, FloridaDaily: Courting and
Keeping the Muse Curated by Susan Andrews and Carolyn Fellman
2004
Charlie Cummings Clay Studio Fort Wayne, IndianaThe Intimate Cup
lll Juror: Peter Beasecker
2004
Worcester Center for Crafts Worcester, MassachusettsTen Hands: CurrentArtists
in Resident Show
2004
Santa Fe Clay Santa Fe, New MexicoThe Drawn Surface Jenny Mendes,
Ron Meyers, Kevin Snipes & Jason Walke
r2004
Louisiana State University, School of Art Gallery Baton Rouge, Louisiana
8 Fluid Ounces
2004
The Society of Arts and Crafts Boston, MassachusettsPortraits2004
2004
Baltimore Clayworks Baltimore, MarylandDiversity in Unity: Contemporary
African American CeramicsCurated by David MacDonald and Winnie Owens-Hart
2003
Society of Contemporary Crafts Pittsburg, Pennsylvania Transformation
4: Contemporary Works in CeramicsShow catalog printed
2003
University of North Texas Art Gallery Denton, TexasCeramics 2003
Juror: Doug Casebeer
2003
Exploding Head Gallery Sacramento, CaliforniaAn Affinity for the
Cup Juror: Richard Hotchkiss
2003
The Publication’s Art Gallery 999 San Diego, California NCECA27@999:
A Teapot Invitational Curator: Heather O’Brien
2002
Centre Gallery University of South Florida, Tampa, FloridaGraduate
Ceramics from the University of Florida
2001
Sandusky Cultural Center Sandusky, Ohio (K)NOW CLAY2000The Wayne
Center for the Arts Wooster, Ohio Functional Ceramics 2000
2000 & 1998
Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OhioDrawn Together, Annual
Exhibition of Alumni Art
1999
Avanti Gallery Cleveland, OhioCleveland Institute of Art Alumni
Exhibition 1999NCECA Columbus, OhioStorefront Installation Project
1998
The Clay Studio Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaTiles
1998 &1997
Gordon Beale Frank Gallery Cleveland, OhioThe Quintessential Mug
1997 & 1996
Gordon Beale Frank Gallery Cleveland, OhioThe Tea Party
1996
Arrowmont School of Crafts Gatlinburg, TennesseeUtilitarian Clay
II: Celebrate the Object
1995
University of Akron Akron, OhioAncestral Voices, Afro American Artists
1994
Pro Forma, Murray Hill Art Walk Cleveland, Ohio Secrets and Menaces
Drawings on Clay: Kevin Snipes/Preston Williams
Publications
2004 500 Figures in ClayLARK BOOKS
2002 Evolving a Tradition, The University of Florida Ceramics ProgramCERAMICS
MONTHLY May p. 38
2000 Functional Ceramics 2000CERAMICS MONTHLY October p. 37
1997 Utilitarian Clay II CERAMICS MONTHLY January p.48
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