March Issue 2001
Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Presents Major Clay Exhibitions
The Jerald Melberg Gallery, in Charlotte, NC, will present two major exhibitions featuring, Alice Ballard Munn: Recent Clay Sculpture and Is It Clay?, which brings together work by the four most prominent trompe l'oeil ceramic artists in America: David Furman, Marilyn Levine, Richard Shaw, and Victor Spinski. Both exhibition will be on view from Mar. 17 through Apr. 21, 2001.
A native of Florence, SC, Alice Ballard Munn
expertly sculpts white earthenware into sensuous natural forms.
In her hands, common onions, flower bulbs, buds, and even garlic
cloves become uncommonly elegant. Along with these classic pieces,
Munn has created a beautiful new series of work composed of magnolia
leaves and blossom seedpods in various stages of life. The viewer
cannot rush looking at Munn's work, and while contemplating each
form, is reminded of the simple joy of watching something grow,
slowly, in its own time.
The surface of Munn's work is finished using the ancient Greek
method of terra sigillata. Although the surface has a sheen, is
not a glaze, but a very fine liquid clay called a slip. Munn believes
this ancient method best reflects the beauty of the clay surface
and the nature of her sculptural forms.
Munn received a BS in Design and a MA in Painting from the University of Michigan. While working as a teacher and artist for over 30 years, Munn has traveled extensively and studied in such far off lands as Macedonia and India. Munn currently resides in Greenville, SC, after having lived in Alaska for the past several years.
Trompe l'oeil,
or trick the eye, means that these talented artists create ceramic
sculptures that are easily, and quite often, mistaken for the
real thing.
David Furman, who has been honored with three Fulbright Fellowships
during his career, is most notable for his imaginative and evocative
"tea pots" arranged from fruits and vegetables.
Marilyn Levine, is a native Canadian who currently resides in
California. Working as an artist for over 35 years, Levine creates
incredibly realistic jackets, briefcases and shoes that have made
her a true icon among ceramicists.
Richard Shaw is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley,
and Victor Spinski currently teaches full-time at the University
of Delaware, Newark. Both Shaw and Spinski construct interesting
and technically sophisticated ceramic assemblages of everyday
objects that leave the viewer questioning, What is real? and Is
it clay?
Our Is It Clay? exhibition coincides
with a major event taking place in Charlotte. The National Council
on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) is holding their 35th
annual conference in Charlotte from Mar. 28 - 31.
For more information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings
or call the gallery at 704/365-3000 or on the web at (http://www.jeraldmelberg.com).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
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