Hands on Clay

Gallery Exhibition/Event
Posted on September 20, 2011

October 6 through November 20, 2011
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 6, 2011, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm


Location: 3245 16th Street (at Guerrero Street), San Francisco CA 94103

San Francisco, September 22, 2011— According to Horace Washington, sculptor and curator of Hands on Clay, there are two types of artists in this world: those who like to get their hands dirty and those who do not. This imaginative exhibition showcases the work of a dozen Creativity Explored artists who dive into projects hands first, creating clay works that are anything but ordinary. Monster masks, demonic cupcakes, flying dragons, Eastern deities and spirited mammals from lands real and fantastical — this otherworldly show will entertain and illustrate the power of two hands (on clay).

The wonderful thing about sculptural works is that they beg viewers to envision the process by which they were constructed. Unlike two-dimensional pieces, art objects with depth are almost irresistible to reach out and touch, and they certainly have a more human presence due to their obvious handwork and extra dimension. Hands On Clay is a show that aims to highlight the process of art making — a ceramic wheel and slab roller used by many students occupies the window display area of Creativity Explored Gallery — so even before you see a collection of impressive works, you see the tools used to make them.

Once inside the gallery, an array of ceramic sculptures delight and entertain. One of the most inventive artists in this show is Gerald Wiggins. A long-standing sculptor, Wiggins indulges in handmade figurative work, slab-rolled pictorials, and lively monster masks. People he sees and meets on the streets of San Francisco inspire his “motley crew” of male characters (ranging from 4” – 8” tall) — they wear colorful striped suits, hats of all kinds, Nike shoes, and tracksuits. Fantasy scenes of dragons and other creatures grace his 12” square slab-rolled pieces, and a series of six monster masks (some Cyclops and Frankenstein-like) end up charming viewers rather than providing a scare.

Miyuki Tsurukawa is another artist who expertly blends horror and whimsy. No one can resist the humor her wide-eyed, sharp-toothed demonic cupcakes provide. Each functional container, roughly twice the size of a regular cupcake, has its own unique personality, facial expression and colorful hand-glazed treatment. A collection of these cupcakes is on display in Hands On Clay…a favorite has spiky candy corn hair, wild sea green eyes and dozens of sharp white teeth! You’ll never look at a cupcake in the same way again.

Speaking of funny and frightening ceramics, Andrew Bixler is a master of original sculpture. Represented in Hands On Clay is an 8” tall red-faced angel (more closely resembling Satan), a five-headed monster of the same size, a 12” square relief of Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield's ear, and a whole lot more. You never quite know what Bixler is going to come up with next, but whatever it is, it will express the artist’s tongue-in-cheek humor. 

A far cry from monsters and demons are artist Ricardo Estella’s chubby Buddha sculptures. Each meditating man (12” tall and twice as big around) has a glimmer of happiness in his eyes, colorful accessories — a hat, robe and/or prayer beads – and most of them have red nail polish! For Estella, inspiration comes from memories of the several trips he took to India, and his variations on Eastern religious icons remind us to smile and live life to its fullest.

Another Hands On Clay artist who is influenced by spirituality is Peter Cordova. An accomplished ceramicist, Cordova creates Native American-inspired figures, adorning them with etched lines and muted color glazes. One of his standout pieces in this show is an elongated 12” head (perhaps that of a spirit rather than a human being) titled Long Head. Whether you believe in spirits or not, this figure’s wide, telling eyes will speak to you. 

It has been years since Creativity Explored Gallery has presented a show dedicated to the fanciful sculptural works that come out of the studio. As more and more artists experiment with form and materials, the more wild the results get. If you have an appreciation for ceramic forms, imaginary worlds, figurative work — or have any sense of humor at all — this colorful show of collectables will surely delight. 

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When
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 6, 2011, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Exhibition Dates and Times: October 6 through November 20, 2011; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm; Thursday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm; Saturday & Sunday 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Where
Creativity Explored Gallery, 3245 16th Street at Guerrero Street, San Francisco CA 94103 (Map)

Information
(415) 863-2108
www.creativityexplored.org

Cost
FREE

Creativity Explored is a nonprofit visual arts center where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit, and sell art.

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