Behind the Scenes: Newcomb Pottery

As “Art Interrupted” is being packed away, don’t fret because the Georgia Museum of Art is making way for an exhibition of Newcomb Pottery, opening May 17. Newcomb Pottery is one of the most significant styles of American art pottery produced in the 20th century. These objects balance form and decoration as they highlight the nature found in the Gulf Shore region where the pottery was located. The objects in this exhibition come from the Newcomb Art Gallery, private collections and the Smithsonian Institute, but the museum is working to create a unique experience for its patrons.

The exhibition, titled “Women, Art and Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise,” is the largest presentation of Newcomb arts and crafts in more than 25 years. It emphasizes women in the arts and their impact in post-Civil War society. The women who worked at the Newcomb Pottery helped advance their economy, and their art made a lasting impact on American history.

At the Georgia Museum of Art, the preparation department is working on layout for the exhibition. The preps will create special mounts for the pottery along with handcrafted pedestals. The museum’s main goal is to create an exhibition and color scheme that is aesthetically pleasing. “We are currently trying to create a layout that works with the flow of our galleries and is pleasing to the eye, said Todd Rivers, chief preparator at the museum.

The exhibition is on view May 17 through August 31, 2014, with numerous associated events that can be seen on the side of its page here.

Organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, it is sponsored nationally by the Henry Luce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Works, and locally by Dr. and Mrs. George Rives Cary, Ceramic Circle of Atlanta, Inc., the Piedmont Charitable Foundation, the W. Newton Morris Charitable Foundation and the Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art.

Artist Blends Media, Technology and Art

Lyndey Clayborn was born in an isolated Lousiana town 4 hours away on all sides from any significant stimulation. Her family remedied this void by connecting to the Internet in 1996. As she has aged, her web has become integral to her waking life as well as her art practice.

Clayborn says that "inspiration awakens whenever I notice a pattern or system manifesting itself within a digital context. Whenever a 'low brow' application such as snapchat or tumblr gains popularity, I have to wonder why."

These investigations into contemporary culture drive her art practice.  The gaze exchange between device and user penetrates and reveals.​ Clayborn attempts to blend her installations seamlessly into the public consciousness by using her constant companions, the iPhone and Macbook.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Multimedia Artist focuses on Post-Industrialist Society

Patrick Walter is a multimedia artist whose practice includes working in metal fabrication, collage and video art. His work focuses on the fabrication of three-dimensional objects derived from an obsession with post–Industrial Revolution design and modern architecture.

His current work focuses on the fabrication of trophies “The trophy is a miniature monument to accomplishment, struggle and travesty. When used in a subversive manner the trophy van be transformed into an anti-monument to contemporary conditions,” Walter said.

Walter was born in a small town in northwestern Wisconsin and received his BFA in Interdisciplinary Studio Arts from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee in 2010.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Artist Creates Works Inspired by Human Nature

Tzvi Izaksonas makes drawings, prints, collages and found-object sculptures that respond to the intersection of organic, crystalline and human-made structures. His work develops a sense of precarious tension and suggests the process of objects falling apart or coming together.

Many things stimulate Izaksonas artistically. “I am inspired by nature, architecture, the human compulsion toward embellishment​ and the little things we pass by every day,” he said.

Originally from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Tzvi received his BA at the University of Minnesota. He is pursuing his MFA in Printmaking at UGA and teaches intaglio and screen-printing there.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Artist Uses Intricate Knotting Technique to Create Art

Lauren Bullock uses repurposed materials in her work and relies on the viewer’s initial response or reaction to them. Although she uses a variety of materials and processes for each project, her methodology is consistent. The subject matter of each body of work determines its materials and the forms, but she often bases the items on what she is able to find and what inspires her.

“A lot of the materials utilized have prior uses and associations, and in my work I am attempting to break away from these preconceived ideas of these items,” said Bullock. Her work uses an intricate knotted technique that is all done by hand. The disjointed pieces display a breakdown of the material as it wears over time and hard use. Overall, each piece reflects the process of using these unconventional materials and the ingenuity required to create it.

Lauren Bullock was born in Boston, Mass., and grew up in Stone Mountain, Ga. She is an MFA candidate in Fabric Design who also obtained her BFA from the University of Georgia.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Artist Brings Dreams to Life With Intricate Stiching

Jenna Kriegel is inspired by narrative and creates her art from her nightmares as she attempts to fill the cognitive gap that results from the unanswered questions dreams provoke.

Kriegel created her work in this exit show to make sense of her dreams. “With both scientific and religious texts being incomplete, I am left to my own devices to fabricate, in the way that makes the most sense to me,” she said. Her art forces her to realize how her dreams affect her. “My art is the verb that transports my nightmare experience from figment into my reality,” she continued.

Materially, Kriegel is open to working with almost anything, but she prefers items with rich textures and histories. Her medium is methodical and repetitive, looping 1,000 single-stich crochet knots to create her works.

Kriegel was born in Texas but spent most of her life in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Artist Discovers the Depth of Infinity Through Innovative Works

A joy of making and fascination of the epic fuel Jourdan Joly’s art. He explores surreal thoughts of infinity and perceptions of scale to access

Jourdan Joly is a multi-disciplined artist who received his BFA from Florida State University in 2010.  He now concentrates on three-dimensional mediums at the University of Georgia.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

Multimedia Artist Creates Unique Works Displayed in the 2014 MFA Exhibition

 
Jacob Brault uses his creative practice to investigate everyday shared and personal experiences, utilitarian objects and post-minimalism. His art reflects his interest in Deluzian philosophy, traditional materials, installation and interconnectivity.

As a multimedia artist, Brault works with a multitude of materials and processes to engage the viewer physically and psychologically.

Brault was born in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and received his BFA from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 2007. He then lived in Italy for three years and worked for the University of Georgia Studies Abroad Cortona Program before entering UGA’s MFA program.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.

UGA MFA Candidate Creates Tech-Savvy Architecture

Yuan Quan grew up in China, where he was exposed to many different kinds of artistic forms. Quan creates his work in varying forms that address issues of both art and design to create irreplaceable pieces.

In 2010, Quan received his BA from the Beijing Institute of Technology. In the current exhibition, Quan designed a chair for a luxury hotel lobby environment. “My inspiration is a collection of different shapes of flower in our ecological system. It was coming from some geometric forms from parts of the flora outline. The back of the seating is mimicking petals when they are blooming,” he said.

To meet his goal of creating a chair that deals with posture issues in hotels, the artist looked at more than 70 different kinds of design schemes. The resulting chair allows people to change posture easily when they are using tablets or smartphones, combining art with technology.

The “Master of Fine Arts Degree Candidates Exhibition” is on view at the Georgia Museum of Art from April 12 to May 4, 2014, with a free preview opening reception Friday, April 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. MFA Speaks is scheduled for Thursday, April 17, at 5:30 p.m. and will feature the artists discussing their work.