A well-grounded art show
A collection of nature-inspired, abstracted, color photographs and pottery are the raw materials used to create “From the Ground Up,” the latest show in Lincoln City’s Chessman Gallery, opening this Friday, June 11.
Together, the works by photographer Dennis White and ceramics artist Martha Wallace resonate with surface textures, colors and shapes arranged to elicit a sense of surprise and pleasure.
Meet the artists at the in-person opening reception from 5 to 7 pm on Friday, June 11, or check out the virtual tour on Facebook, which will be posted on the Lincoln City Cultural Center Facebook page on Saturday.
The compositions are a deliberate departure from full representations of the “pretty” objects and landscapes from which they are derived. Like the nature-based photos, other photos in the show have a relation to the show’s sub-themes, where abstract details of human constructs are displayed.
Clay comes from the ground, so just about anything made of clay fits the show’s theme. But for many of the pieces, Wallace has used glazes and surface textures that resonate with the colors and textures of White’s photographs. Many of the objects have unusual or playful shapes, some reminiscent of nature, and some rather architectural. The clay objects combine both Raku and conventional glaze and firing techniques.
After years of working long hours on health reform, White retired to the Oregon Coast, giving him time to rekindle his passion for photography. Long before the advent of digital photography, he studied Ansel Adams’ Zone System, a framework for varying exposure and development of black and white film to produce the final image that the photographer has visualized. Though the Zone System has now been integrated into the digital world, White has not taken advantage of the extreme manipulation possible in the digital realm, preferring to employ the enhancements that are possible, if tedious, with film-based photography.
“Composition and color, including its absence, are now front and center in my pursuit of photographic artistry,” he said. “I am particularly fascinated by the shapes, color, and light that might show up in anything from a landscape to lichens on rock or the detail of weathered paint on a fishing vessel. Oregon is a particularly rich environment for photography with its diversity of beauty: cityscapes, mountains, rivers, farmland, forests and, of course, the Pacific Ocean with its headlands, tidal zones, waves and wildlife. I hope that my photographs can connect with viewers in a way that communicates a little of the magic that I am finding all around us.”
Wallace has been creating ceramic art for about 30 years. She retired to the Oregon Coast in 2013, after working 25 years in manufacturing management and 20 years as an Episcopal priest. Since 2013, her focus is on refining her skills on the wheel and teaching.
“For the last five years, I have worked to master the making of fine porcelain dishware,” she said. “In the last year or so, I have experimented with combining thrown and hand-built forms. I use both organic and architectural forms as embellishments to thrown forms to get more interesting shapes. Preparing for this show has allowed me to experiment with texture and color to create forms that hint at, if not actually resemble, nature.”
The Chessman Gallery is located inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center at 540 NE Hwy. 101. “From the Ground Up” will be on display through July 4, available to view Thursday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
For more information, go to www.lincolncityculturalcenter.org or call 541-994-9994.