Scientists believe they have discovered a possibly habitable planet orbiting the star Gilese 832 only 16 light years from Earth. Child’s Garden on Gilese 832X: Blue Floxnia is a fantasy trip across those 16 years to gaze upon the life forms that might be there. A sculpture composed of stained glass and ceramics fired together this is the first of a series of pieces intended to explore this concept through a combination of different colors and shapes.
I am pleased to announce that my ceramic mosaic piece Creation Story has been accepted into the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia Members Exhibition at Gratz College. The show will open June 26th and run through August 27th.
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″.
I am pleased to announce that both of the pieces, Voices Unheard and Civil Discourse – 2016 that I submitted were selected as finalists in the juried ArtScene Today Competition : Mad, Mad, World and can be viewed at artscenetoday.com.
John Fansmith 