Kindred Objects, at Artists Archives of the Western Reserve

Brian Sarama, 69¢ Any Size, clay, ^03 ox, vitreous slip, nichrome wire, underglaze, 17.5 X 10 X 10 inches, 2020, from Kindred Objects

 

There’s something fundamentally moving about glass and ceramics. Familiar yet surprising, the media connect the viewer to the artist’s hand, viscerally transmitting ideas through a shared tactile experience. This November, the Artists Archives welcomes Kindred Objects: Ceramics & Glass from the Western Reserve, a group exhibition curated by Kent State University faculty Davin K. Ebanks and Peter Christian Johnson. The show features over twenty Ohio creators, including representative works from established regional artists like Brinsley Tyrrell, Todd Leech, Eva Kwong, Marc Petrovic and Kari Russell-Pool, as well as that of “emerging and aspiring artists whose work might not be as well known.”

For Ebanks and Johnson, the pairing of the media was a natural choice. “Glass is historically linked to ceramics,” they explain. “The technology for the latter is necessary to produce the former. This kinship formed the basis for the genesis of this show… Moreover, both materials seem to command a unique loyalty from their practitioners.”

Alli Hoag, Synthetic Reverie #2, lost wax cast crystal with metallic coating, glass, wire, mixed media, 14 X 8 X 22 inches, 2021.

While the work was not chosen for any thematic or formal similarity, certain commonalities emerged, including the exploration of materials, drawing on the personal to explore the universal, and the most timely—adaptation. “The pandemic has created challenges for all artists, but even more so for those who depend on specialized equipment and studios to make their work… Artists have always found ways to keep working but it takes a special kind of determination to find materials that are analogous to glass or ceramics during a pandemic.” Kindred Objects will open with a reception on Thursday, November 4 from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.

In January, the Archives will begin its 2022 season with photographer Stuart Pearl’s inaugural exhibition as an Archived Artist. Pearl is a lifelong Clevelander whose methodical and elegantly composed images have championed the city’s evolution for decades. Featuring a blend of work from the museum and the artist’s personal collection, the show will open on Friday, January 21, with a campus-wide reception including The Sculpture Center and the historic (David E.) Davis Studio Gallery.

For more information on the exhibitions, exhibiting artists, and accompanying programs, please visit artistsarchives.org.

 

KINDRED OBJECTS: CERAMIC & GLASS FROM THE WESTERN RESERVE | NOVEMBER 4–DECEMBER 18 | OPENING RECEPTION 5:30-8PM THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4

STUART PEARL INAUGURAL EXHIBITION |JANUARY 21–MARCH 12
CAMPUS-WIDE OPENING RECEPTION 5:30PM FRIDAY, JANUARY 21

 

 

ARTISTS ARCHIVES OF THE WESTERN RESERVE
1834 East 123rd Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
artistsarchives.org
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