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MICHELLE MARTIN: STRATA
JANUARY 10 - 31, 2009
OPENING RECEPTION:
Sunday, January 11, 3 - 5pm
CLICK HERE TO VIEW EXHIBIT ONLINE
A solo exhibition featuring works by
Michelle Martin, whose fascination with
philosophies of perception
manifest themselves through ceramic installations exploring the five senses.
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STRATA will be a sensory experience – literally. The gallery will be transformed with large scale installations, one for each of the five senses. Through the use of carved porcelain tile, sculpture and vessel, Martin turns the microscopic into the monumental, creating environments that are literal translations of the biological layers, or STRATA, of each of our senses. In addition, Martin has created a twelve -foot long light table, on which she will exhibit glass Petri dishes fitted with carved translucent porcelain tiles. Each dish gives us a peek into the mysterious realms of our inner selves.
In her artist statement, Michelle Martin writes: ”My work is rooted in a fascination with the scientific processes of identification, issues of identity, and with philosophies of perception. Our perception of the external world begins with the senses. I am interested in examining their operation, their classification, and the forms they embody to carry out such important tasks. They say that “perception leads to a person’s view of the world, so its study may be important for better understanding communication, self, id, ego – even reality.”
If we categorize perception itself, it breaks down into two categories: Internal and external. External perception (sensory perception) tells us what’s going on outside of our bodies while internal tells us what’s going on inside our bodies. My study of the five senses is an examination of and a reference to the external world within which we exist. My study of the ten cells is an examination of the internal and a reference to the systems inside of our bodies that allow us to operate within the world.”
Michelle Martin has a BA in Art History from NYU and an MFA in Ceramics from SUNY New Paltz. She has been working as a classroom teacher for 7 years and is currently the Education Coordinator at Clay Art Center. Her ceramic work focuses primarily on sculptural tiles and installation.
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