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October Issue 2007
Somerhill Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, Features Works by Mark Chatterley and Carolyn Morris Bach
Somerhill Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, is presenting a two-person exhibition of recent works by artists Mark Chatterley and Carolyn Morris Bach. Recent figurative ceramic sculpture by Chatterley and Bach's newest hand-fabricated jewelry will be on display through Oct. 12, 2007.
Mark Chatterley
Chatterley's sculptural pieces explore common images of the human condition. He describes his own work as "ancient representations of the soul", and asks his viewers to visualize what his sculptures are thinking and feeling. The abstracted figures sculpted in clay, in a variety of scales, are often life sized. Textures ranging from shiny metallic to crusty, weathered surfaces imbue each work with unique identities, harkening to a universally understood visual vocabulary. "I apply the glazes with big ugly brushes, flinging them everywhere in a painterly frenzy," says Chatterley. From tranquil dream-like states to provocative soulfullness, Chatterley has the masterful ability to evoke a wide array of emotion in his audience. He utilizes clay's intrinsic properties in the kiln to bring bubbles to the surface that give his sculptures an ancient quality.
"Mark's sculpture seems to evoke a mystery of past civilizations now hidden in a subterranean grotto," said Gallery Director Joe Rowand. "I live with his work at my residence and their mysteries are constantly morphing into unknown illusions of somewhere else." Chatterley uses kiln-fired clays that withstand prolonged exposure to the elements.
Chatterley received both his BA and MFA degrees from Michagan State University. His works can be found in many public and private collections, including the NC State University Visual Arts Center, Radison Aruba Resort and Casino, Williamson Elementary School, and the Holocaust Museum of St. Petersburg, FL. In addition, he has also taught advanced-level ceramics at Michigan State University.
Carolyn
Morris Bach
Somerhill is also pleased to be presenting an exhibit of hand-fabricated jewelry by artist Carolyn Morris Bach. She creates unique studio jewelry with an evocative, talismanic quality. Bach often uses materials and gemstones found in the United States. Finding inspiration in such sources as Inuit Eskimo art, Chinese mythology, and the wildlife around her home, Bach handcrafts every piece in her Rhode Island studio, and each is one of a kind. The moon especially intrigues her, and one of her signatures is the carved bone face that appears in many of the shaman-like goddess pendants, earrings, and brooches.
Bach selects gemstones and pearls to complement the shapes, colors and textures developed in the metal forms of her work. While working, she avoids hard edges and cold, glossy finishes in her jewelry to achieve a warm and pleasing design.
A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Bach has exhibited nationwide since 1980 and has been featured in magazines such as American Crafts, Ornament, New York Times Sunday, and Vogue. This will be her fifth featured exhibition at Somerhill Gallery.
For further information check our NC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919/968-8868 or visit (www.somerhill.com).
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