Clay Art Center is proud to present Matthew Hyleck: Field in Flux, a solo exhibition featuring exquisite utilitarian works drawn from landscape and texture by Baltimore potter Matthew Hyleck. The exhibit, held in the Choy Gallery and Henry’s Project Space,will run from May 29 – June 20, 2009 with an opening reception on Friday, May 29, from 5-8pm (Hot Pots: Clay Art Center Annual Summer Sale will also open the same evening). Admission is free.
Matthew Hyleck will also be leading a two-day hands-on workshop on Saturday - Sunday, June 20 - 21 from 10am - 5pm. The workshop will explore lidded vessels and a range of altered plates and platters, as well as Matt’s use of various Shino glazes. For more information, or to register, visit www.clayartcenter.org.
Having known Matt Hyleck for 9 years, and seen his work develop dramatically in this time frame, I somehow feel a sense of pride when I see his current work. I revel in his mastering of form, surface and texture, and savor how he uses these three elements to create notions of landscape. I take pleasure in using his pots on a daily basis, and look forward to when I might have the opportunity to add to my collection. Field in Flux will be a delight to anyone who enjoys thoughtful functional pottery, to anyone who enjoys food and drink.
About his work Matthew Hyleck states, “My ceramic work is defined directly by my love for natural objects. Natural forms and symbols are always finding their way into my work. My work has evolved from my search for place and the placement of particular objects within a defined landscape environment. The interaction between an object’s ability to shape the environment is what I look to capture through my utilitarian work. I am exploring the ways in which landscapes change through the seasons; specifically how a field is defined by its location, how a horizon line reflects the geography of a particular location, refined by its designated purpose and constrained by it fenced borders.
“My goal is to create utilitarian pots for everyday use - simple forms that speak primarily about functionality and the intimacy gained through daily use. The life of a pot becomes complete only when it is used, and so I strive to make work not for the shelf but for the table. I am very interested in telling a simple story or narrative about place; whether that is an object’s place in time, a direct reference to location or an object’s intended purpose within the house.”
Matthew Hyleck is a ceramic artist currently living and working in Parkville, MD. Matthew earned his BFA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH in 1997. He is an artist-in-residence at Baltimore Clayworks, a nonprofit ceramic arts center, where he also teaches studio ceramics and has served as the Education Coordinator since 2000. Matt was selected in the May 2008 Ceramics Monthly as an “Emerging Artist” in the field. His utilitarian ceramics have earned two Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship awards in Craft both in 2005 and 2007. In the summer of 2005 he completed a 10-week artist-residency at Tainan National University for the Arts in Tainan, Taiwan ROC followed by a feature exhibition at the Fugui Gallery in Yingge.. In addition he has conducted workshops in Columbia, MD, Lancaster, PA, Loveladies, NJ and Port Chester, NY.
