BILLIE BOB and SALLIE MAE, a pair of expressive but not particularly scary monstrous creatures, like the others in THE SLITHERTHINGS Series, are not based on anyone or anything in particular, but more the result of free time, idle hands, a small block of clay and a badly warped sense of humor. Hand built and Raku fired paper clay. 5”H x 6 or 7” depending on positioning.
The STONEHENGE DECONSTRUCTED Series draws from a number of sources: my interest in prehistoric cultures, my own series CRUCIBLES, CAULDRONS and CALDERAS, the work of Alysse Einbender, a marvelous ceramist, and the metal sculptures of Robert Engman, among others. That so much is still unknown, i.e., theoretical, about Stonehenge and the people who built it gives both a difficulty and a wide latitude to doing a deconstructive piece about it. STONEHENGE DECONSTRUCTED: THEORY #1 – WINTER SOLSTICE, the first in the Series, ignores the difficulty and takes full advantage of the latitude. In this piece, the ground is cold, white and hard, but the movement and coloring of the shapes express the joy of the celebration. l Hand built and raku fired paper clay. 7”W/D x 6 ½”.
The Slitherthings: Zeb & Maevis are intended to be a pair of small and expressive, but not particularly scary, monstrous creatures. Hand built out of paper clay and Raku fired, they are part of a series of imaginary beings and were not inspired by, or reflective of, anyone or anything, in particular. About 6″H, the width and depth depend on how you position them. $225.00 the pair.
I am pleased to announce that juror Niza Knoll has invited my mixed media sculpture, Moses Warms His Hands, into the “Holy Moly: Religious Commentary in Contemporary Art” Show. Moses Warms His Hands may be seen at the Niza Knoll Gallery, 915 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204 from December 16, 2016 until January 28, 2017.
Cauldron #2, part of the “Crucibles, Cauldrons and Calderas” series, is composed of stained glass and paper clay fired to over 2000 degrees F. and employs various underglazes, as well as low and mid range glazes to contrast the inside of the “cauldron” with the outside of it and the base. 6″ x 7″ x 7″.
See No Evil #4 is another in my series of raku fired paper clay and mirrored glass wall hung masks. Like the others, its inspiration comes from no specific source but from my interest in the diverse roles masks play in all the world’s cultures. 12 1/2″ x 7 1/4″.
Virgin Sacrifice #1 is part of my exploration of using stained glass and paper clay in mixed media sculptural pieces. The skulls in this prototype piece are commercially available molded plastic, but I hope to master the 3-D printer well enough to create custom designed pieces. Virgin Sacrifice #1 takes the Floxnia format to a more complex form and perhaps into a different dimension. 10″ x 10″ x 10″
Masks are ubiquitous,part of every culture and serving a variety of functions, so there is no specific culture or function which served as the inspiration for my See No Evil Series. I just felt like doing a few, playing around with form and expression. Hand built raku fired paper clay and mirrored glass. 13 1/2″ x 6 3/4″.
The White Lady, is a hand built and glazed paper clay sculptural figure set on a two-tiered MDF base with an irregular opaque black glass mosaic. It draws its inspiration from the works of Amedeo Modigliani and from some pieces created by the Cambridge Glass Company in the 1920’s. The tiers are offset to accentuate the curving lines of the sculpture. 13 1/2″ x 10″ x 10′
“Eruption” captures the explosive grace of a volcano. It is composed of stained glass and ceramics which have been fired together to over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit and is a companion piece to “Night View of Kilauea” $350.00 6″ x 13″ x 1″
John Fansmith 