Esoteric Survey

William Chappelow at his Tryyn Gallery in Guatay, CA.  Bill is an amazing craftsman who specializes in wood kitchen implements. He's been at it since the early 1970s and his work is included in the Smithsonian permanent collection. Tryyn is a medieval term meaning "coming from the tree". The gallery is located in the mountains just 30 minutes east of San Diego in the tiny town of Guatay, which is on Historic Highway 80. The form and grain of the wood guides what the final piece will become.  Each piece is designed for a very particular use. I spent a lot of time reading the tags before selecting mine. Cream of wheat is one of my favorites.  Bill in his workshop, which is located behind the gallery. Bill's prefered machines are Walker-Turner band saws from the 1930s. He uses more than 250 types of wood in his work. As an avid environmentalist, he uses every scrap. At one point he was even using the sawdust in...

One of my favorite booths at the 2019 Palm Springs Modernism show was the Clyde Burt exhibition by Converso .  In addition to traditional pottery forms, there were some dynamite abstract wall plaques and sculptural pieces. That sign hung at Clyde's Ohio pottery studio. Here's the whole booth. In a 1966 Ceramics Monthly"...in explaining how he creates his distinctive ceramic wall plaques, Clyde Burt refers to them as "jigsaw puzzles," and there's as much truth as humor in his description. The plaque starts out as a more or less realized design, later is taken apart in pieces, then finally is put back together again." Clyde Burt (1922-1981) was born in Melrose, Ohio.  He studied at Fort Wayne Art School and the Cape Cod School of Art.  He then worked under Maija Grotell at Cranbrook.   He then returned to Ohio and worked as a full-time studio potter on his family's 28-acre farm. He then taught at Fort...

Living with Clay: California Ceramics Collections August 25 – November 17, 2018 Opening Reception: Saturday, August 25, 2018, 5–8 pm California State University, Fullerton presents Living with Clay: California Ceramics Collections. Curated by Rody N. López, this exhibition pays homage to distinguished collectors that have amassed impressive collections of ceramic artworks from some of the most respected artists in the field, all reflecting an insatiable passion for clay.  The exhibition includes: Jerome Ackerman, Rudy Autio, Ralph Bacerra, Tom Coleman, Josh Deweese, Carmen Dionyse, Betty Davenport Ford, Viola Frey, David Furman, Julia Galloway, Shoji Hamada, Robin Hopper, Jeff Irwin, Sergei Isupov, Tony Marsh, Beverly Mayeri, Alleghany Meadows, Gertrude and Otto Natzler, Vincent Palacios, Don Reitz, Kevin Snipes, Paul Soldner, Robert Sperry, Jindra Vikova, Peter Voulkos, Patti Warashina, Varda Yatom, Ward Youry, and many more. While on campus, don't forget to c...

J.B. Blunk: Nature, Art & Everyday Life at the Oakland Museum of California I began making wood sculpture in 1962. I knew how to use a chainsaw and it was one of those things. One day you just start. - J.B. Blunk Mage and Flying Stone  were both included in an exhibition at  The Landing  in 2015.  Hawk Arch below was as well. Bronze Clay A great number of the pieces in the exhibition came directly from the Blunk house .  J.B.'s buckskin shirt The stone sculpture on the right reminds me of Isamu Noguchi's  Radio Nurse . Noguchi was a big influence on Blunk. Maquettes This incredible stone sculpture is from the house as well. The Oakland Museum has been a longtime fan of Blunk. The Planet  was commissioned by the museum in 1969 and is still enjoyed daily by visitors, especially the kids. Correspondence regarding the commission was...