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"Working in clay
and making functional pottery has never been a problem for me. I
have never felt the need to dismiss or disregard the concept of
function because it was something less than art. I have never found
making useful pieces confining or restrictive. In fact, I find that
the opposite seems true. The longer I stay involved, the more alternatives
and possibilities there are that seem to present themselves. Along
with the functional aspects of the piece, I strive to have the end
product reflect my own sensitivity and awareness to the material
itself and its traditions. The pieces that I'm most pleased with
are those that come closest to best integrating the form and surface,
the spontaneity and fluidity of the clay along with the object's
use. "
Ron
Meyers has been in clay for over 30 years. He is an internationally
know artist whose work is collected in the US and abroad.
Meyers,
who recently retired from teaching ceramics at the University of
Georgia, describes his pottery as "utilitarian." His pottery
is functional and useful. His surface design is confrontational.
He throws on the wheel, then alters the shape to a less perfect
form. His line is loose and rough.
The pots seem
on the verge of collapse, vessels that feel approachable, almost
human, and always utilitarian. Drawing on the pots using slips,
his images, with their wildly rendered, often humorous figures-both
human and animal-feel spontaneous and whimsical. The images of fish,
cats, goats, rabbits, and humans on the surface sometime seem frightened
or agitated.
When he first got interested in clay, it was the utilitarian aspect
that drew him. "I think you can stay within a utilitarian form
and still have room to make plenty of statements. People always
ask me whether I'm a potter or an artistI just say that I make pots
but try to make them in an artistic way."
Ron Meyers is a Professor emeritus at the University of Georgia
and has taught courses and workshops throughout the country. He
has exhibited in many solo and group shows.
EDUCATION:
Master's Degree in Art Education, Rochester Institute of Technology
for American Craftsmen.
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