Raku

Behold a Pale Horse

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Usually I have at least a rough idea of what a piece will look like and be called before I start it. However, when I’m working with abstract multiple tile pieces, particularly raku fired ones, the finished piece is more likely to dictate both the form and the title. I started Behold a Pale Horse by firing 70  2″ x 2″ tiles using a combination of underglazes, glazes and a spattering of raku glazes, and then arranging  the fired tiles into various configurations until i got one that “spoke ” to me. Behold a Pale Horse is called what it is because the image I see is that of a pale horse. My image may not be as sharply defined as in Revelations 6:8, but to me it is there. 63 tiles, 13″ x 16 1/2″.

 

5x5x5

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I’m proud to announce that three of my pieces, The Yeoman, The King’s Dwarf, and Wood Sprite have been accepted into the 5x5x5 show at Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL.  The juror is Adrienne Callander (Assistant Professor of Art Entrepreneurship in New College at the University of Alabama).  The Yeoman and The King’s Dwarf are part of my Medieval Series (hand built,one of a kind raku fired paper clay) and Wood Sprite is part of the Mythological Creatures Series.

Moses Warms His Hands

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Moses Warms His Hands, a mixed media sculpture, is the third piece of the WHOLLY MOSES! set. Consisting of hand-built, raku-fired ceramics and a polychromatic deadwood pruning.  It was inspired by Exodus 3:3, the time in the narrative when Moses is investigating the burning bush but before the Lord has spoken to him.

 

But the Gods Did Not Answer

(C) JOHN FANSMITH 2015

Amidst a scene of destruction and devastation a final desperate plea has been made.  “But the Gods Did not Answer” attempts to capture the despair, anger, and sense of betrayal that arise when there is no response. This is a mixed media sculpture utilizing raku-fired hand-built ceramics, found objects and rocks/pebbles. 23” x 11’ x 14”

Requiem for a Muse

Requiem for a MuseThe nine Muses of Greek mythology have long been a source of fascination and, perhaps appropriately, inspiration for me. “Requiem For a Muse” is an assemblage sculpture consisting of nine Raku fired ceramic pieces which draws on both the classic Greek Chorus and the Requiem Choir of western culture to pose the question:  “Which Muse, if any, is being mourned?” I can give no guidance. The answer depends upon the viewer. $450.

And All The King’s Men

Amd All the King's Men

And All The King‘s Men is an example of what can happen when you go into the ceramic’s studio after having watched an episode of Game of Thrones. It is a 9″ x 8″ x 6 1/2″ Raku fired ceramic sculpture that utilizes three different glazes to help emphasize the faces’ helmets, and coats of mail of the King‘s Men. In many ways it is similar to, but it is not a part of, a series of individual medieval themed pieces that I’m working on. $400.