FINALLY. BA/BS Senior Exhibition

Author/Artist Name

Emily GlowickiFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 11-15-2019

Artist Statement

My most recent work delves into the relationship of sculptural form and ceramic tradition and how we perceive amorphous beings that exhibit resonance of the recognizable. I’m interested in where we draw the line between form and function in ceramics and how we can explore both possibilities through the creation of ambiguous three-dimensional representation of these ideas.

My work addresses these ideas through both sculptural vessels and nonobjective forms that leave the realm of the vessel completely. This exploration of form and fluidity started with single word: torpid. Torpid, according to the dictionary, is an adjective to describe slow, sluggish, languid movement, and the first thing that came to mind when thinking of this word is the 1958 American science fiction-horror movie “The Blob”. The first work in this series is Torpid, which is my response to the slow moving, vaguely ominous amorphous being and an investigation into representing the essence of torpidity in a rigid sculptural object. Over the last year, the series has progressed from the representation of languid movement to an investigation of our perceptions of objects and their apparent function, or lack of. After spending time attempting to marry the formal aspects of the blob with traditional ceramic profiles, my more recent blob forms leave the world of the vessel altogether, but still imply a relationship to ceramic tradition as well as the historical and archeological significance of pottery with references to blue willow china patterns and surfaces inspired by geological occurrences.

Pieces from this series often evoke a sense of whimsy and mystery and intend to inspire curiosity and questioning from the viewer. Two individuals that directly influence my current work are mixed-media sculpture artists Dan Lam and Alexandra Searle. Dan Lam is an artist who works primarily in polyurethane and resin to create psychedelic, other-worldly drip and blob sculptures dominated by vibrant hues and uncontrollable form to create a sense of unpredictable entertainment and whimsy while simultaneously shrouded in an unnerving sense of the unknown. Alexandra Searle creates installations dominated with concrete and medical materials to draw attention to the relationship between soft and rigid objects in a formal setting in relation to the human body and health. Works from these artists inspire me to explore new ways to represent malleability and flow in my work.

Ceramics has remained my preferred media as this series has progressed; However, during research and continuous production of works, an interest in installation has arisen in me and the blob series will continue to morph just as the blob itself does.

Advisor/Mentor

John Utgaard

Description

Variety of tabletop sculpture pieces created with b-mix stoneware, Cone 10 reduction/oxidation glazes, acrylic, epoxy, expanding adhesive, latex paint, and embossing powder that explores the visual impact of historical, cultural, and archaeological resonances on the recognition of everyday objects and amorphous sculpture.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Glowicki, Emily, "FINALLY. BA/BS Senior Exhibition" (2019). B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499). 27.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art499/27