From the whimsical to the commercially appealing, the abstract to the socially conscious, Ink & Clay 41 exhibits a record-setting 100 vibrant and eclectic pieces of ceramic, clay, ink, printmaking and mixed-media art.
The show runs through Oct. 29 at the W. Keith & Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery in Building 35A. An opening reception will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Established in the 1970s, Ink & Clay is a national competition that calls for works that incorporate “any variety of ink or clay as a material.” This year, over 254 entries were received and an independent jury of artists and arts professionals selected the final 101. The resulting exhibit is divided into abstract, whimsical art and social commentary/women’s issues.
“Most striking about this year’s entries was the proportion of the 67 featured artists whose works dealt with personal deep, dark, internal struggles,” notes curator Michele Cairella Fillmore.
Clay artist and juror Jody Baral cites another difference. “Artists who were attempting to push the idea of aesthetics while firmly based in a relatable idea, who also exhibited a proficiency with the medium, got my attention,” says Baral, chair of Mount Saint Mary University’s art department and director/curator of the Jose Drudis Biada Art Gallery.
This year’s featured selections include:
- An installation of recycled computer components into a human figure to depict mankind’s increasing reliance on technology in a disposable and consumerist society. By Pascual Arriaga.
- Three ceramic- and glass-based mosaics that pay homage to heroines from history (former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt), science (20th century English chemist Rosalind Franklin) and literature (Poet Maya Angelou). The effect is a triptych reminiscent of Gothic and medieval-era mosaics of saints in a state of grace. By Donna Hollander.
- An ink XX that is a commentary about British Petroleum’s failure to protect the ocean and marine wildlife in the wake of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. By Linda Lyke.
Other jurors include Cathy Weiss, exhibition chair for the Los Angeles Printmaking Society and founder/director of LAPrint Space at the Pacific Design Center, and Julie Perlin Lee, vice president of collections and exhibition development at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana.
The W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery (north end of Building 35A) is open Mondays and Tuesdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/kelloggartgallery, email artgalleries@cpp.edu or call (909) 869-4302.