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March Issue 2010
Clemson University
in Clemson, SC, Offers Works by Mike Vatalaro
by Jake Ollinger, Senior BFA major, Clemson University
New Growth, a ceramic exhibition by Mike
Vatalaro, will be on view in the Lee Gallery, at Clemson University,
in Clemson, SC, from Mar. 1 through Apr. 1, 2010, with an artist
gallery talk offered at 5pm on Friday, Mar. 5, 2010.
Vatalaro, Chairman of the Clemson University Department of Art,
is exhibiting new works inspired by his sabbatical in Taiwan at
Tainan University of the Arts, as well as his continuing investigation
into the form and function of ceramic vessels. According to Vatalaro,
"My experience in Taiwan revealed a much stronger appreciation
between handmade, utilitarian vessels and the everyday use that
the Taiwanese people enjoy. Ceramics as an art form were totally
integrated into these Asian cultures, and (ceramics) were as abundant
as plastic kitchenware at Wal-Mart."
The exhibition includes
works created in Taiwan, as well as Vatalaro's on-going investigation
into the creation of large and small lidded vessels, tea bowls,
and wall mounted ceramic drawings. Concerning his continued interest
in the jar form, Vatalaro states, "I've been using the lidded
jar form to 'hold' my explorations of space and form. Their intent
is less utilitarian, and formally are an expression of contour
and proportion. After years of constructing individual unique
forms, I've sought out, within the last few years, subtle variations
upon historical Chinese, Japanese and Korean vessels. Their inspiration
lies in the architecture, the water storage tanks on high rises,
and the plant life surrounding Taiwan."
Entering the show you immediately sense Vatalaro's inspiration,
as his larger vessels rise up, creating a landscape with the variation
of large and small works. The pieces from Taiwan greet you with
much the same modesty as the people do and his lidded vessels
and hill jars really do contain the space in and around them.
The tea bowls draw you in with their quaint air and keep you enthralled
as you embrace their subtlety.
Most of Vatalaro's works are fired in atmospheric kilns, either wood or soda. According to Vatalaro, "The Anagama firings along with the soda firings provide a historical authenticity as a jumping-off point, allowing me to investigate new glazes and surfaces to support a new form." He often utilizes Clemson's Anagama kiln, lovingly nicknamed "Vatagama" because Vatalaro spearheaded its design and construction along the principles of traditional Japanese Anagamas. The Vatagama has modifications to enhance finish and provide consistent temperatures throughout the kiln.
The Vatagama can hold approximately 2-300 small to large works, and takes approximately 48 hours to fire. The firing of the Vatagama is a communal experience much in line with how Vatalaro thinks about life, work and food. Just as Vatalaro enjoyed the communal nature of tea in Taiwan, he enjoys the community he has created around this kiln, and his work truly speaks to this.
Part of the allure of the Vatagama, is the partaking in Vatalaro's legendary pizza. He is also an incredible chef, with his Italian heritage shining through as well as a master craftsman with clay and he is willing to share with any and everybody. Food often influences Vatalaro's making of his large functional work. He recalls, "In regards to some of my larger works, I look to create dishes that can contain and display food in a way that is aesthetically pleasing as well as invites the viewer to partake of whatever dish is inside."
Vatalaro, an Ohio native, received his BFA from The University of Akron, and his MFA in ceramics from Alfred University. He has received national and international recognition, including receiving the South Carolina Fellowship for Crafts in 1984 and in 1994. His work is part of several permanent collections, including the Greenville County Museum of Art in Greenville, SC, The Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC, and the Huntington Museum in Huntington, WV.
For further information
check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Lee Gallery
at 864/656-3883 or visit (www.clemson.edu/caah/leegallery).
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