Two and More
October 24 – November 10, 2019
Reception: November 10, 2019 at 2pm
Artists: Vanessa Hall-Patch, Pia Sillem, Elaine Futterman, Mike Allegretti, Jack Olive, Ray Niebergall, Bev Niebergall, Jack Ploesser
Two and More is an exhibition of artists working with printmaking and clay who explore two and more surface design techniques. Playing and contrasting techniques and their combined effects, the artists in the exhibition reveal a breadth of material exploration, combined with extraordinary skill and control.
Vanessa Hall-Patch creates works on paper by layering multiple photo-based printmaking techniques, including etching, screen printing, relief and embossment. Focusing on themes of collecting, recording and preservation, Vanessa documents vernacular structures within her rural surroundings of Bowen Island, British Columbia. Pia Sillem’s pottery is fired in a wood kiln, which creates unique effects that cannot be achieved or duplicated in any other way. Elaine Futterman and Mike Allegretti of Creek Clayworks use salt firing. They put salt into their gas kiln and the sodium combines with silica in the clay to form glaze, a method that originated in Germany in the 1700s. There are often some surprises when they open the kiln to see what patterns the salt has made on the pots. The process produces luminous, almost alchemical surfaces. Jack Olive’s work plays with a range of glazing techniques including black and white pieces that are fired in the raku method with no glaze on the outside and the interiors are glazed. He makes both functional and decorative work, ranging from abstract and geometric to subjects drawn from the natural environment. Bev and Ray Niebergall will display their clay creations that range from functional wear to decorative and sculptural works, while Jack Ploesser exhibits his deep knowledge of copper red and ash glazes and they curious ways they interact with each other.