October 2013

FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, Offers Pottery Exhibition

The FRANK Gallery in Chapel Hill, NC, will present A New Tradition: Mark Hewitt, Daniel Johnston, Matt Jones, Alex Matisse, Joseph Sand, on view from Oct. 8 through Nov. 3, 2013.

Since 1983, when Mark Hewitt began making pots near Pittsboro, NC, a much-admired new style of North Carolina pottery has emerged. Dovetailing what he learned as an apprentice under legendary pioneering British potter, Michael Cardew, with what he found in the folk pottery traditions of North Carolina and the rest of the South, Hewitt has created an attractive hybrid style that honors the past while making it fresh and new.
A number of his former apprentices are now scattered across the state doing excellent work in their own right, and this show at FRANK will be the first time this group will have exhibited together.

Daniel Johnston, near Seagrove, NC, has a growing reputation for his beautiful, superbly made pots, big and small. Joseph Sand is using a variety of colorful glazes to distinguish his strong, lively work.

Matt Jones has carved a name for himself with his gorgeously ornamented work, his intellect shining through all he does. And Alex Matisse, Henri Matisse’s great grandson, is establishing his own distinct aesthetic credentials with deftly decorated pots and a probing experimental flare.

This show offers a glimpse into the complexity of the relationship between the individual and tradition. How does aesthetic identity emerge from established models and training? How does quality develop within a close-knit group of inspired practitioners? How does individual voice develop within a group context? There is strength in numbers, but does expression trump conformity? If different potters make the same pot, are they different pots? The pots are great, but are they Art?

For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919-636-4135 or visit (www.frankisart.com).

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