clay sculpture – Gillian McMillan — Rara Avis

LES GRANDES DAMES Debra Sloan

Gillian McMillan — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 04:58:25 +0000

The Craft Council of BC is hosting sculptor Debra Sloan’s latest solo show ‘Les Grandes Dames’ at its gallery/craft shop at 1386 Cartwright street, on Granville Island. It’s in the building that we knew as Crafthouse in the past. When we found that registration for the Opening on June 6th was full we made a plan to attend Debra’s scheduled artist’s talk and see the show when there was less of a crowd. Her talk will take place at nearby Carousel Theatre, at 1411 Cartwright street on July 18th. at 7pm. https://craftcouncilbc.ca/les-grande-dames/

But then, once my own SHUFFLE evening was over I needed to take a new selection of pots into Circle Craft. So one day last week Alan and I walked from the Netloft building over to the Craft Council gallery and were able to have a good look at Debra’s astonishing group of significant women.

Debra says:

‘Les Grandes Dames’ is an assemblage of figures depicting women as distinct entities. My objective has been to add my visual voice to those who have been and are involved in repositioning the rights and personhood of women. This is also a cautionary tale. Women’s rights have existed only within narrow bands of history and usually involving only a portion of the world’s women, which, during this last century, some have been experiencing – but storm clouds loom.

We have seen Debra’s dogs, babies and horses in her previous shows but here she has concentrated on portraying elegantly clad women with distinctive, slightly worrying hairstyles. She has been inspired by Tang Dynasty terracotta Court Lady tomb figures. The large woman with the big skirt was made in collaboration with Vancouver artist Drew Shaffer, with the help of Debra’s sister, daughter and granddaughter to place the carefully selected shards and memorabilia on the vast skirt’s shelves.

There was one large angry baby in the show, and two more standing toddlers in the main area of the shop. You can’t miss Debra’s sculpture style.

Congratulations Debra. You have made an impressive court of ladies and shown us, once again, how much you enjoy the trials and tribulations of working with our favourite medium, clay. I look forward to hearing more about your intentions in portraying these carefully clad women, at your July 18th talk.

It was good to wander through Crafthouse once more. Since the closing of the Gallery of BC Ceramics across the street I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t walked in this area of the Island recently. Craft Council of BC is an important organisation which promotes the creation, study and marketing of BC’s Fine Crafts. I’ll say it again here, it’s crucial that we support craftspeople in these difficult economic times. Why don’t we have an enormous gallery and shop for Fine Crafts (and specifically Ceramics of course!) in the now-vacant Emily Carr campus just nearby?? Vancouver City, BC Arts Council, private patrons.. step up!

On the next day I was delighted to welcome a small ‘Raid’ in my studio once more. Next blog…

Max Ton Shen Yang

Gillian McMillan — Mon, 22 May 2023 00:02:50 +0000

Port Moody Arts Centre (PoMoArts) has a unique opportunity for emerging ceramic artists. A recent graduate from a clay programme is given a small studio in the clay department with use of materials and kilns for a full year, with a month-long solo show at the end of that time. In return the artist-in-residence is asked to supervise some clay drop-in times, share their techniques and interests and has the opportunity to offer some classes.

https://pomoarts.ca/scholarships-residencies

Applications for this position are being accepted right now for September. The link describes current CAIR Max Yang.

TriCity Potters group always invites the current Ceramics artist-in-residence to speak at one of our monthly meetings. Max Yang is just now completing his busy year at PoMoArts and is making the final pieces for his show, opening on June 15th.

Once again TCP member Emily Cheung created a fine poster for us and a good-sized group of keen potters attended the meeting last Wednesday.

Local resident Max Ton Shen Yang completed a Fine Art Certificate at Langara College in Vancouver before transferring to Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University for his BFA in Ceramics. Although he learned wheel-throwing he quickly realized that he was much more interested in sculpture, specifically using plaster moulds.

Since returning to the Lower Mainland and moving into his studio at PoMoArts for the last year Max also took on a position as technician at St. George’s School in Vancouver. How marvellous it must be to be young enough and have the energy to manage all that!

Max came to our meeting very well-prepared, not only to show slides illustrating his career so far, but with several of his amusing plaster moulds to demonstrate his process. He started by pouring liquid slip into all the moulds so that the clay could stiffen as he talked to us.

As we watched the slides Max told us about his life as a Chinese immigrant son of a single parent here in Coquitlam. An award-winning sculpture he made at NSCAD showed a white ceramic chain encircling a balancing table with just two chairs, to symbolize that situation. The extraordinary chain was made with mould-made cone 6 clay, once-fired. As usual photos taken from slides are poor so I didn’t record that image. But something made me take pics of the sculpture below.. a Playboy rabbit smashed into the face of this man? The glazed sculpture revealed that he had orange hair!

After we’d seen Max’s slides he returned to the plaster moulds, gave explanations of how they’re made and why, and then carefully took each one apart. He showed how they are made of several parts to allow for undercuts in the original form. Some of the pieces that were poured and revealed on this evening will form part of his final show here at the Arts Centre.

Now our latest Ceramics artist-in-residence must finish all the work he intends to show in his upcoming show. The poster is above, so make a note to attend the opening on Thursday June 15th.

Max tells us that he will be continuing in his position as ceramics technician at St. George’s School for the time being. I’ll be watching the career of this enthusiastic, talented young clay artist and wish him good luck. Thank you Max for an informative, amusing and well-organised presentation to TriCity Potters.

Sunshine Coast Art Crawl: Laurie Rolland

Gillian McMillan — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 04:32:53 +0000

After leaving Roberts Creek we headed North-West towards Sechelt, hoping to fit some more studios into our day. Just before Davis Bay we turned up Whitaker Road and found potter Laurie Rolland’s studio.

I’ve been aware of Laurie’s work for many years, admiring ‘vessels’ and other sculptural forms in local shows at the Gallery of BC Ceramics and even here in Port Moody at the Blackberry Gallery. Her work can be found in prestigious collections in Ontario, the Canadian Embassy in London, England, in the States, Australia, Korea and China. Click on the link to read more of her biography.

http://www.laurierolland.com

For my account of our visit to Laurie’s showroom I’ll mainly let you see photos. Each piece asks to be studied and interpreted personally. She says, ‘A deep reverence for the natural world, combined with an interest in ancient earth-based religions informs this work, for the boat is the feminine symbol of passage and salvation the world over.’

Laurie’s pieces are all hand-built, with just a few being obviously functional. Her work is for collectors. Do notice the bold colours on the walls of her display rooms. They really enhance the work.

I followed Laurie into her study where she had arranged a wrapping station. Again, I loved the colour on the walls, and the fascinating artworks and anthropological items for inspiration displayed there.

When Laurie and I joined the others in the showroom we found Owen and Laurie’s partner deep in conversation about the canoes he builds. Both apparently spend much time on the local waters. I think the conversation could have continued for a long time. But it was time to move on.

Laurie’s visitors are invited to see her display in the lower level of her charming house. We noticed the carefully tended garden which stretched up a slope behind and I imagine her studio is in a building way up there. I expect she can see the waters of Davis Bay when she’s working.

We emerged at 4.30pm and even though the Crawl ends at 5pm we agreed that we’d had a full day and that it would be a good idea for Linda and me to head back down to the ferry. So the next studios we’d circled on the brochure, in Sechelt and further north, will have to wait until another year.

We dropped Owen and Sue off at their homes in Gibsons and Linda and I didn’t have a long wait for the 6.55pm ferry back to Horseshoe Bay, and a return to our regular lives. A trip to remember!

Thank you very much, Owen, for suggesting TriCity Potters make this excursion, and for inviting us to stay at your family’s cabin overlooking the Salish Sea. Thanks also to you and to Sue for being our knowledgeable local guides. Your suggestions and local experience were a great help.

My souvenirs from the trip, above, are a little wheel-thrown salt-glazed jug by Elaine Futterman, a large mug for my tea by Jack Ploesser, a shorter, wonky coffee mug with a perfect handle by Ray Niebergall and a little green dish by Laurie Rolland for my daily slices of pear.