June Issue 2001
Ravens And Raku in the Focus Gallery at Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC
In the Folk Art Center's Focus Gallery in Asheville, NC, through July 9 raku artist Steven Forbes-deSoule (Weaverville, NC) and printmaker Lucius DuBose (Nashville, TN) have been chosen to show their latest inspired work. Every five to eight weeks, two members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild fill the space with a new body of work, often showing one-of-a-kind pieces or experimenting with a new direction.
Lucius DuBose has taken this opportunity to explore a new area in his specialty of hand-colored etchings. Birds are DuBose' favorite subject, ranging from serious studies of specific avian species to witty depictions of birds acting a part in our everyday expressions. Since childhood he has drawn and painted the flighted friends of his surroundings, teaching himself the skills of observation and recording. Academically, DuBose studied theology and eventually served as a Presbyterian minister. After ten years in the ministry though, DuBose strongly felt that "[his] earlier interests were claiming [him]," meaning his love for artwork. For eight years he studied and taught printmaking at Peabody College and the University of Georgia.
In 1977, he opened his own studio, producing, showing and selling his intaglio (etchings) and silkscreen prints. His etchings begin with a metal plate coated with a layer of wax. The image is drawn into the wax, exposing some of the metal underneath. Then the plate is immersed in an acid bath where all but the exposed metal is protected. Where the drawing was made, the metal is "eaten" or etched. Ink is later applied to the metal, and inside these etched grooves the ink falls, ready to be transferred to paper when pressed. DuBose takes a further step by painting his etchings with watercolors. He and his wife, Lenda, also a printmaker, print and color his growing line of etchings, allowing a closer glimpse at the avian world he loves. In this show, Dubose brings a set of nine new etchings on the subject of Crows. From the American Raven to the British Rook, each print features a different type of Crow. An oft-reviled family of birds, crows are, DuBose points out, some of the most intelligent and highly evolved bird species. The crow's clever survival skills enable it to get into more mischief than other species, gaining it a bad reputation in both human and bird societies. In this set of etchings, DuBose illustrates the misbehaviors as well as the brilliance of these "avian rascals."
Steven Forbes-deSoule is using this Focus Gallery opportunity to feature some of his large, one-of-a-kind works of art. These impressive pieces reflect the cumulative skills gained over twenty years as a studio ceramicist. With a dedication to exploration, growth and fun in his work, Forbes-deSoule has developed a distinct style in his raku-fired vessels. Raku is a traditional Japanese technique of firing clay in small batches and setting the hot vessels immediately into a container of combustible materials. Flame and smoke exert special influences on the clay and glazes. The sometimes unpredictable outcomes of the raku process has offered endless fascination for Forbes-deSoule. A recent development, shown in this show, is a surface treatment which he calls his "halo/opal" glaze. Whenever light strikes this reticulated surface, it seems to radiate from a point, creating a halo. Upon seeing Forbes-deSoule's discovery, glaze expert and author of "Clay and Glazes for the Potter", Robin Hopper, marked its resemblance to an opal stone, thereby giving rise to the name "halo/opal." Like an opal, this unique glazing process produces a near spectrum of metallic color.
Forbes-deSoule is particularly attracted to round and ovoid forms thrown on a wheel, and has gained the ability to throw very large, dramatic vessels. Making these shapes requires tremendous control. To raku fire them, he must release this tight control, interacting with the power of smoke and flame to achieve desired results. His latest interest has been in the sensuous shapes of fruits, particularly pears and apples. In this show, these inviting shapes are enormously represented, gleaming bright with the "halo/opal" glaze, reflecting different hues from every angle.
For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings or call the center at 828/298-7928.
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