Raku

Watcher of the Night

From the earliest days until the present, in myth, legend and story, the hooded figure has been seen as a figure of mystery, a concealed identity and thus a source of apprehension. Only when the hood is thrown back and the identity revealed does apprehension turn to fear – or relief. Throughout the summer I’m going to be exploring the hooded figure in a number of different contexts, using individual and groupings as well as a variety of different materials and surface treatments. WATCHER OF THE NIGHT is hand built and raku fired paper clay. 7” x 2 ½” x 3”.

DARK MOON RISING

DARK MOON RISING is a 21” x 21” wall hanging consisting of 26 hand built and smoke fired stoneware tiles. The tiles were smoke fired over a 28 hour period using a mixture of hard and soft wood chips as the firing medium. The title, DARK MOON RISING, reflects my first reaction to the piece after it was completed

EDEN’S END

EDEN’S END, drawing on the Biblical imagery of the Book of Genesis, while appearing to be hammered metal, in fact, consists of four pieces of hand built and raku fired stoneware secured to a piece of split and hand sanded cherry, by wooden dowels and epoxy sculpt. The legs are of various lengths to accommodate the unevenness of the base. 7 ½”H x 19”W x 7”D.

STONEHENGE DECONSTRUCTED: THEORY #3 – BLOOD SACRIFICE

BLOOD SACRIFICE, the third in the STONEHENGE DECONSTRUCTED Series posits a different and darker interpretation than the celebratory themes of the first two, WINTER SOLSTICE and VERNAL EQUINOX, that Stonehenge was not always a place of joyous welcome. In BLOOD SACRIFICE the palette is darker and the shapes curve inward and down. Hand built and raku fired paper clay. 7” W/D x 9”H.

MASK #9: THE GOLDEN YEARS

When I started the MASK Series the pieces were generic and conceptual, more an investigation into the cultural universality of Masks than an expression of any particular idea; I wasn’t doing commentary, just having some fun with paper clay and Raku. However, things evolve, and the more recent ones, such as MASK #9: THE GOLDEN YEARS, through the facial expressions and palette do try to say something. Technically, MASK #9: THE GOLDEN YEARS is a mixed media piece combining hand built and raku fired paper clay with glass beads for the eyes. Wall hung, 9” x 7” x 2 ½’.

THE SLITHERTHINGS: BILLIE BOB and SALLIE MAE

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.

STONEHENGE DECONSTRUCTED: THEORY #1 – WINTER SOLSTICE

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

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.

See No Evil #4

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″.

See No Evil

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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″.

John Fansmith

Artist