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Bryan Hopkins: Containers for the Intangible
September 3 – 26, 2009
Reception: Saturday, September 12, 6-8pm
VIEW EXHIBIT ONLINE
The exhibit, held in the Choy Gallery & Henry’s Project spaces,will run from September 3 – 26, 2009 with a Reception on Saturday, September 12, from 6-8pm. Admission is free.
In conjunction with his solo exhibition, Bryan Hopkins will be leading a 2-day hands on workshop, entitled Intimately Minimal: Function and Dysfunction in Clay with Bryan Hopkins. The workshop will be held Saturday – Sunday, September 12-13, 10am – 5pm and the fee is $190 for members and $200 non- members.
About his work, Bryan Hopkins states “In this continuing series I am focused on questioning the archetype of the ceramic pot as container. The work challenges the existence of a difference between inside and outside as the two become intertwined and ones sense of access is heightened. The pieces imply the capability of containing physical objects (fruit, bread), but are only able to contain the intangible substances of light and shadow. |
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“By leaving evidence of the process of making and using the concept of function as a starting point I allow the viewer an insight for initial interpretation. Although the formal architecture of the pot remains intact, the work is uninhibited by the pragmatic issues of function. Dropping the necessity of a pot to contain allows the creative exploration of the artistic potential of the vessel format.
“The juxtaposition of glazed and unglazed surfaces combined with industrial textures not typically associated with porcelain produce a tension in the work, and the sometimes violent and rough treatment is at odds with porcelain’s implicit societal qualities (upper-class association and assumption of purity and preciousness). Exploitation of the explicit qualities of porcelain (fragility and translucence) and a minimal use of color, combined with a cylinder or oval form, emphasizes the dysfunctional parts that come together to create a single expression. The intimate scale of the work draws the viewer near, creating a more intense and personal dialogue. This close proximity is necessary in beginning to unravel the meaning of the piece.
Bryan Hopkins was born in Philadelphia, PA. He was a mathematics major at West Chester University when he took his first ceramics class. Bryan went on to earn an MFA in Ceramics from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Bryan has been a studio potter working in porcelain since 1990, and has lived in Buffalo, NY, since 1995. Bryan teaches part time at Niagara County Community College, and has also taught at Medaille College, SUNY at New Paltz, and SUNY at Fredonia. |
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