by Carole Epp | Sep 26, 2013 | Uncategorized
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| Aaron Nelson |
Maybe it was something in the air at Medalta lately, what with the 1st International Cup show opening and all. But while I was visiting earlier this month, Vipoo Srivilasa who was there for a residency drummed up the idea to put together an International Spoon Competition as well. September saw a new batch of year long residents taking over the studio as well as a number of artists from South East Asia coming over for a visit and a brief month long residency with Vipoo. The energy in the studio was inspiring. So many new artists getting settled in and starting to work and the spoon competition was the perfect thing to get the kilns firing and the creative ideas flowing. Sometimes all it takes is a little something out of the ordinary day to day of your studio practice to open up some new perspectives and ideas. Returning later in the month I saw how this friendly competition really brought the artists together (well that and all the amazing shared meals they created).
So I here by present to you the spoons in the competition. Each is a thing of beauty and interestingly speaks to each artist’s larger art practice. The winner of the competition (judged by those participating) was Teo Huey Min’s lovely spoon. Congrats to you!
But I’m curious…which is your favorite?
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| James Seet |
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| Jason Desnoyers |
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| Jenn Demke-Lange |
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| Jenna Stanton |
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| Joshua Primmer |
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| Jun Myoung |
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| Krisaya Luenganantakul |
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| Laura McKibbon |
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| Liz Burritt |
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| Naomi Clement |
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| Noriko Masuda |
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| Teo Huey Min |
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| Teo Huey Min |
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| Thomas Cheong |
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| Vipoo Srivilasa |
by Carole Epp | Sep 9, 2013 | Uncategorized
Well it was a whirlwind weekend. I traveled to Medalta to open the Medalta International Cup show and meet with a new group of resident artists; some which will be around just for a short month long stint, others staying up to a year. But more on them later. The cup show is really what I want to talk about first.
From the first minute I found myself surrounded by the actual cups in person I had a bit of a chill. And possibly a panicked sweat as well. While I knew what to expected since I had been the one selecting the work; I truly hadn’t prepared myself for seeing them in the flesh. To be honest I was taken aback by some of the work. The scale of pieces differed so much that I saw them in a different light. Others, I found, had details that had not come through in the images I’d seen making them even more impressive in person. I had prepared a short list of who I thought would take the prizes, but I soon found myself starting from scratch and looking over each piece one at a time all over again. Each piece was picked up, fingers were run over bottoms, handles were tested, glaze details were drooled over. But suddenly I was saddled with the weight of my decision. Medalta and the Medicine Hat College put forth what I think is one of the best prizes out there. A month long residency with accommadations! If only there could be a way for the juror to win….kidding. But it is a huge prize and I needed to be able to justify my decision. One cup out of 150 cups was going to have to stand above the others.
I narrowed my list and went back hourly to reevaluate and in the end I chose this beautiful piece titled “Ugly Monkey” By Kyoungwa Oh of the USA as our top prize winner. I assure you this piece is beyond delectable in person. My camera phone image does it no justice.
Congrats to you, Kyoungwa Oh!
Student prize – supplied by none other than Ceramics Art and Perception and Ceramics Technical, went to Melanie Sherman
The following works were also purchase prizes for the Medalta Collection:
I was supper thrilled to see how many of the artists were in attendance
at the opening. So special to be able to share this night with you all.
Cheers and congrats to all of the artists in the exhibition. Thanks to each and everyone of you for making beautiful work. Thanks to all the amazing staff at Medalta who worked overtime on this project (even in a post flood renovation zone). In particular three people: Aaron Nelson for getting the idea off the ground; Jenna Stanton for overseeing the project logistics and administration, and for installing a beautiful show in a manner that highlighted each artists work; and Quentin Randall, Medalta’s resident web designer and marketing/promotions staff. Thanks to all the Medalta staff that helped out with this project. Thanks to Medalta AIR, Medalta College, and Ceramics Art and Perception and Ceramics Technical for supplying the awards.
Oh Medalta, you have a special way of bringing the clay world
together; of supporting and promoting international and Canadian craft
and artists. We artists love organizations like that. Keep up the amazing work.
Over the next while I’ll be posting a lot of eye candy from the award winners and some of the artists from the exhibition. Please stay tuned for that. In the meantime head on over to Medalta in person or online to pick out a cup for yourself before they’re all gone!
by Carole Epp | May 31, 2013 | Uncategorized
If you follow Medalta on Facebook, twitter or Instagram (which you should) you’d have seen some pretty cool images lately of the 3D printing they’ve been doing. I was so intrigued that I bugged Aaron Nelson and Quentin Randall to send me some info and images to share with you guys. Below are some thoughts about the relevancy of the residency process for an artist and the integration of 3D printing technology.
“The value of art and artists
Artists
are experimenters, looking at new ways of using existing technologies
or developing new technologies to solve their own technical problems.
Artists today are not primarily focused on the final product. For every
piece in an art gallery, there are 100 piled in the corners of studios.
It is about the process; the experiments which yield new information.
Artist
residencies are the creative equivalent to scientific laboratories –
ideas come together and are explored to their natural end. Sometimes
it’s as a heap in the corner. In other times – exciting times – an idea
produces something revolutionary. When that happens, change happens.
Art
and Craft 3D printing is at the edge of our understanding and
development. By putting it in the hands of artists – people who make
careers out of pushing forward – their experiments will leave invaluable
and meaningful amounts of new information in their wake.
In
Medalta’s artists’ studios, 3D ceramic printing experiments are quietly
being conducted by many creative minds. The goal here is not to solve
the problems In fact, more problems are often created. The goal is to
push these two newly-convergent technologies (ceramics and 3D printing)
to their absolute limit in order to see further into the future. By
pushing further than before, artists at Medalta are able to help others
see the future. By experimenting and sharing, progress can (and will)
happen in positive, unexpected ways.
That
is the relevance of an artists’ work. To endlessly experiment, share
ideas, build on ideas, combine ideas and move this world forward.
Medalta’s artist residency program is devoted to that cause and
understands its role in the world. Medalta respects the process of
making and understands that process based learning produces new
knowledge that expands the definition of ‘possible.’”
Well if you’re like me I’m sure you’re dying to know more and if you’re lucky enough to be in the Alberta area you should make sure to check out their 3D printing demo and exhibition this weekend.
CERAMIC 3D PRINTING
Over 125 years of Ceramic technology in Medicine Hat
Exhibition & Demonstration
Saturday, June 1
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Yuill Family Gallery (Medalta)
No Charge
Artists
Steve Grimmer
Medalta is pleased to host
Ceramic 3D Printing,
a company from Omaha, Nebraska, who are using the methodologies
associated with contemporary art production in order to conduct research
into 3D printing. This company is at the leading edge of printing in
ceramics and organic material for the medical industry.
Artists
are experimenters, looking at new ways of using existing technologies
or developing new technologies to solve their own technical problems.
Artists today are not primarily focused on the final product. For every
piece in an art gallery, there are 100 piled in the corners of studios.
It is about the process, the experiments which yield new information.
Please
join us for a short demonstration of the process and to hear our five
feature artists discuss their involvement with this cutting edge
technology.
by Carole Epp | Jun 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
Steven Godfrey
Cardinal Salt Cellar, 2011
Aaron Nelson
Bowl 1193, 2011
16th annual Bray Benefit Auction
On display June 21–July 28, 2012
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 21, 6–8 pm
Bray Warehouse Gallery
Cup and silent auction bidding will begin on Thursday, June 21 at 6 pm and will end on Saturday, July 28.
Click here for information on how to bid.
Visit their website
here to see all the works up for grabs.
by Carole Epp | Dec 2, 2011 | Uncategorized
The Big Idea from Medalta on Vimeo.
Aaron is currently working with experimental, highly translucent soft paste porcelain that matures at an extremely low temperature. His interest in this new material, for which there are few historical precedents, grows out of a concern for the environment and reducing the carbon footprint of his practice.
At the same time, he has become interested in contemporary communications technologies – QR Codes in particular. He is experimenting with the merging of ceramic art with these new forms of communication.
This is Aaron’s latest Big Idea. We hope you enjoy it.
Copyright Medalta 2011
Filmed by Quentin Randall
Edited & Directed by Quentin Randall & Jenn Demke-Lange
Music by JS Zamecnik
