So imagine my surprise…
I was working at the “glitter gig” today and we went to the Bridgeport Art Center
to meet a client and do a little pre-site visit for an upcoming event. We were looking
around this really wonderful lofty event space. We happened to pass the washrooms
and I saw these wonderful art installations on the entrance walls. It looked familiar.
And you know how I love grids… multiples of items… and geometric repetition!
Well, these 50 pieces are basically square plates, with square “legs” on both sides.
I believe they were stacked on each other during the firing. And curved so that the
beautiful glassy-glaze build-up can pool in the center of each plate. Stunning.
We continued walking around the event space, and then I ducked through a side door.
Suddenly I was in a small art gallery. And there were more really cool art pieces on the
walls. And then I realized… these were all made by a friend of mine Jay Strommen.
I had run into him last at SOFA Chicago back in November. We were talking and catching
up with stories about people we know from his time teaching at Lillstreet. We then got on
the topic of his current artworks. Let me just say, Jay is very much an “artist.” He lives
the part… and makes me feel so much like a “craftsman” not an artist. A lot of the “art-speak”
he gives goes right over my head. But it’s fun to hear him talking about what he’s doing…
so passionate, so eloquent, so engaging… and still quite funny!
So he then proceeds to tell us that his new work is basically “deconstructing” the entire
ceramic process. Without going into all of the details I don’t quite understand, he’s basically
putting a bunch of clay chemicals, glaze chemicals & other components on a “kiln shelf”
and then melting it all together in a high-fire wood kiln. Of course there’s some very erudite
thoughts behind it, some artistic jargon, some special blah-blah-blah… and I was scared.
Then he tells us that he’s showing at SOFA and that we should go see his work. I was kinda
concerned after all the hype that it was going to be more than a bit crazy. Imagine my
surprise when we got to the booth and his pieces were there hanging on the wall.
And they were incredibly cool!!!
Long story short…
Jay Strommen currently has an exhibit going in the Bridgeport Art Center Gallery.
And since I know that so many of you won’t wander through that same side door I did
today, I thought I would share some pictures of his show!
Now obviously these aren’t all “kiln shelves” that he’s firing onto. They’re actually slabs
of clay that he’s building. But I’m pretty sure that the basic “deconstructed” ceramics
process fired on a kiln shelf principle is still at work here!
And yes, that’s a cone melted onto the surface there… the white hook shaped thing!
If you’re in the Chicago area, be sure to stop by the Bridgeport Art Center to see Jay’s
show. You can also check out Jay’s beautiful website for some images, videos and a lot
of Jayzo’s art speak! Click here to go to Jay’s website… www.JayStrommen.com
As the other half of the “we”, I heard a lot of Charlie Brown blah blah as well, (how the hell do you do ceramics without the clay????) struggling to understand just what we had in store for us when we found his pieces…and you are correct, they were beautiful.
It doesn’t help me to understand the jargon, but the work? THAT I get.
PAM – I’m so glad that someone else was there to hear Jay’s story. If nothing else than to confirm that he was indeed speaking. That I wasn’t having “an episode” and making it all up in my head. Ceramics without clay?! Kiln shelves as art? Deconstructing? Melting? blah, blah, blah… I’m sure it makes sense to someone. Obviously that someone is NOT me!!!
I may not understand them.
But I do find them oddly brilliant & stunning!!!
I remember one of the first pieces I thought was truly great when I started at Lillstreet was a wall piece by Jay; he had thrown a disc and made holes in it, scratched it, etc. I guess he fired it in a wood kiln, but it was a good piece of wall sculpture.
The last class I took at Lillstreet was a glaze mixing class with Jay. I don’t remember a lot of art-speak, but I DO remember his telling the class that he had been a Zen priest that lived 370 years ago, in his previous life. He told us this, and a couple of other funny things, more than once. What a character, but he is very talented – I don’t know why he isn’t more well known in the clay world; he does some original and striking work (so does Dave Trost). I have kept up with his clay exploits over the years through his website, and his Etsy store.
Speaking of SOFA, I first saw Jay’s work there in 2011. He is represented by the same gallery that represents William Daly. Daly was sitting at a table in the booth, meeting and greeting people, and talking about his work. I thought it was cool that I knew someone that was exhibiting at SOFA, and had actually taken a class with him.
Also, I had a weird co-incidence at last year’s SOFA:
A lot of the galleries had cards you could fill out if you wanted to be added to their mailing list. We went into one gallery’s booth (I don’t remember which) and were looking at the pieces. Someone had left one of the gallery’s mailing list cards on one of the shelves. I looked at the name on the card – it was Jayson Lawfer! I thought it was really, really weird that out of all the people that had passed through the huge show, and of all the galleries there, that I should find a card filled out and left by someone I knew. What are the odds?
Anyhow, just a couple of strange tidbits for your blog, keep up the fantastic work, both with your blog and with clay!
I wouldn’t be surprised to see your work at SOFA one day.
Hi all, Just to let you know the images you see on this post are all made of clay that Jay built and they are not kiln shelves. The ones Gary is referring to was at the SOFA show. These shown are 100% clay slabs built and fired in a wood fire kiln in Galena, with Jay’s signature clay body “jayzo753”. I know this because I am his partner of course and probably helped stoke that kiln once or twice. Great write up Gary. Stop by the studio sometime and visit us!
PS. the Bridgeport Art Center bathroom pieces are back-lit and glow at night.
HEY GINA – Thanks for the clarification. I guess I thought it was pretty obvious that not all of these are kiln shelves, but now that I go back and re-read it, I think it may have been clear only in my head! You know how that happens. Clearer in my head than any one else’s. Either way, they are SO MUCH COOLER than I ever would have expected “deconstructed ceramics” to be! And… backlit bathroom tiles??? Seriously?…even cooler. I hope we get the “glitter gig” party that were were there pre-siting for so I can go back and see it at night all lit up!!! Thanks for checking in Gina!!!
Gary,
Wow, thanks for the kind memories and thoughts, or blah blah… Really, nice that you were here at Bridgeport Art Center (BAC) exploring! I am so thankful that you found one of the “lunar loves” we donated to the “Empty Bowls” project at Lillstreet recently! Shall we gather for food and explanation’s of craft to art? Pick some dates and get with us here. It will be really fun, bring Pam, Smith, whomever….
All the best, Jay