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May Issue 2005
Clayworks Gallery in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Arthur McDonald
The art of handmade paper is combined with images of the religious recluse in a presentation of recent works by Arthur McDonald. Distant Visions: Hermits, Monks and Shamans will be on exhibition at Clayworks Gallery and Studio in Charleston, SC, from May 22 through July 5, 2005.
McDonald creates his paper from Thai kozo/mulberry and Bhutanese daphne fibers. These sheets and constructions are combined with African kuba cloth, Buddhist monastic figures and Coptic books. Natural objects (cactus, thorns and mud) are mixed with found objects (rusted nails, chains and rocks) and used to evoke the solitary nature of the hermitic experience.
For centuries all cultures and all religions have accommodated the withdrawn religious figure. In the 3rd century Christian hermits spread out and populated the Egyptian deserts and here they created the codex (book) with exquisite Coptic bindings. The monks of Bhutan searched distant Himalayan peaks to establish hermitages of religious retreat and created iconic Buddhist images. Throughout west Africa the advice of the individual shaman was sought by a population that appreciated this figure withdrawn from daily.
Distant Visions explores the journey untaken by individuals who moved outside society to find a meaning for society. In the exhibition the viewer will encounter a Burmese marionette that symbolizes the need to withdraw in order to participate in the full human experience. There is also a series of medieval belt books that encapsulate the seeker bound into volumes for all to read.
McDonald studied traditional Asian papermaking in Bhutan, Burma, Yunnan Province of China and Thailand. On two occasions he held residencies with Supan Promsen in Lampang, Thailand. At the Penland School of Crafts (NC) he worked with Marilyn Sward and Mina Takashima. McDonald has exhibited throughout the southeastern US and recently had works in The Healing Power of Art, a group exhibition in Lexington, KY.
In addition to Distant Visions Clayworks is presenting recent works by the members of Clayworks and by guest potters including Bette Mulleur-Roemer, Randy Johnson and John Vasquez. These works represent creations by significant contemporary ceramic artists. Clayworks studio is always open for visitors to see the members working at the potters wheel, creating glazes and firing both stoneware and porcelain.
For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings or call the gallery at 843/853-3345.
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