| January 11 – April 12, 2009 Slow Clay: The Ceramic Art of Willi Singleton Making pots is like cooking. You have to start with good ingredients to get a flavorful, satisfying result,” says Willi Singleton, a Kempton, Pa. ceramicist whose ‘good ingredients’ come from the local clay found in his own backyard. Singleton’s work, inspired by his study with a master potter in Mashiko, Japan, an area widely recognized for its superior ceramics, is recognized internationally for its contemporary design and subtle glazes. Over 20 of his elegant pots are included in this exhibition. Singleton, who has profound respect for the raw materials of his art—the clay, the glaze and the fire—as sources of creative potential, achieves his signature complex glazes with a traditional wood-fired climbing kiln. During a firing, the kiln, based on a Japanese prototype, requires round-the-clock stoking until an appropriate temperature is reached. The firing itself may take anywhere from 48 hours to 12 days or more. The burning wood produces great amounts of heat, as well as fly ash, which settles on the pieces during firing and creates a natural ash glaze that cannot be achieved with any other type of firing. This glaze may show great variation in color, texture and thickness, but always offers subtle enhancements achievable only through the slow rate of heating and cooling characteristic of the wood-fired process. Support for this exhibition is provided by the S&R Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in Washington, D.C. to recognize and encourage talented young scientists and artists for their work, especially those who contribute to U.S.-Japanese understanding. |
Willi Singleton, American b. 1957 |
|
Allentown Art Museum • 31 N. 5th Street • Allentown, PA 18101 610.432.4333 • | ||
