Chris Pate and Jonathan Steele at Ash St on July 10th and 11th

Chris Pate and Jonathan Steele Present:

nversations from the Fireside  

Portland, OR – Chris Pate and Jonathan Steele will present an exhibition of their wood­fired
c e r a m i c a r t : o n v e r s a t i o n s f r o m t h e F i r e s i d e , t a k i n g p l a c e a t T h e A s h S t r e e t P r o j e c t G a l l e r y a t 524 SE Ash St. on July 10­11, 2015

Chris Pate and Jonathan Steele are local ceramic artists who have fired their work together in many wood­burning kilns of the Pacific Northwest. Independently, their work focuses on themes of interpersonal and material interaction at these kiln sites and within each unique kiln culture. Collectively, their work gives a glimpse into the multitude of surfaces that are achievable through the wood­fired ceramic process. Chris Pate's installation A​lchemy of Interaction​and Jonathan Steele's series G​amagraphy​are debuting at this exhibition. The opening reception will include the sale of their handmade and wood­fired ceramic cups and mugs.

Opening Reception and Cup Sale: Friday July 10​6­9pm

Exhibition on view: Saturday July 11th 10am­9pm 

Artist Lecture: Saturday July 11​2­4pm Free Admission 

Exhibit Statement:

Conversations from the Fireside p​uts on display the events, processes, and the material and psychological changes that working in wood­fired ceramics generates. Firing ceramics in a wood­burning kiln is a communal effort. Each time, a group of people get together to prepare and load the kiln and fire it non­stop for as long as it takes. This can be a full twenty­four hour day or much longer (some kilns fire for more than 8 days). After the kiln cools they unload the work and clean. They also gather to share food and drink, discuss firing strategies, process wood, and maintain the kiln and kiln site. This group effort can build strong community and facilitate positive social interaction. Chris Pate and Jonathan Steele met last year, firing The East Creek Anagama, and have since worked together firing different kilns many times. Their work independently focuses on this event, the shared goals, the decisions made, and what occurs in and around the kiln during these gatherings of people and pots. The pieces on display are remnants of the gatherings, growth, and the journey.

Chris Pate’s installation A​lchemy of Interaction represents a lifestyle exploration into the wood­fired ceramic process. The final objects are symbolic of the relationship of the artist to 9 unique communities over the course of 3 years. The surfaces of each piece are the result of their interaction with other pieces in the kiln, as well as the chosen ceramic materials and the intentional atmospheric conditions of each kiln. They are a chronology of experimentation with clay body mixing, formulation, reformulation, placement in the kiln, and firing schedules. The work of wood­firing may yield uniquely beautiful results, as well as provide a nexus of interaction for ceramic artists. Cooperatively working towards a shared goal can create a hub of community, in which the sharing of ideas and experiences can flower outward into a network of knowledge and tradition. The opportunity for ongoing mentorship is available due to the strong social element of these events, along with multi­generational participation. During each fireside conversation and after every kiln is unloaded there is much to be learned of material transformation as well as personal transformation.

Jonathan Steele’s series G​amagraphy is a visual record, or snapshot of the kilns, groups, and firings he has participated in since beginning graduate school at Oregon College of Art and Craft. The images created on the slabs of clay are the result of others’ work being placed on and around his pieces in the kiln. Direct contact points and cast shadows are recorded in ash and flame, leaving a visual artifact of the firings’ duration, an image of presence and absence. The slabs are long exposures that create an image of dynamic material as it transforms. The variety of these images exemplifies the diversity of groups of people and the decisions they make collectively while firing their work. The series is an inquiry into material and social interactions within wood­firing culture specifically and Craft in general. 

the Tin Man featured at the Museum of Contemporary Craft

from the Museum Website:

March 18, 2014 – May 03, 2014

Curated by: Sarah Margolis-Pineo

This exhibition takes a deeper look into two very different wood-fired kilns in our vicinity: the first, Steven Mickey’s Soulgama kiln; and the second, Careen Stoll’s Tin Man kiln. A look at the unique qualities of a wood-fired pot: the glaze effects of wood ash and the unpredictability of the finished product. A look at how community plays a crucial role in the firing of these two kilns, and how community develops around the fire.

Concurrent with the work on view at Museum of Contemporary Craft is an additional satellite exhibition of wood-fired ceramics at Biwa, a southeast Portland restaurant. See additional pieces by Dan Kunnecke, Steven Mickey, and Careen Stoll during open hours, seven nights each week, 5pm to midnight. biwarestaurant.com

Dan Kunnecke is a potter based in Portland, Oregon. Kunnecke’s introduction to the craft of pottery came from visiting the famous Japanese pottery village of Mashiko when he was sixteen years old. Growing up in Tokyo, Mashiko was a not-too-distant tourist attraction, but it was enough to get him hooked and beginning to make pots of his own. Nearly twenty years later, Kunnecke has found himself part of another wood-fired community here in the Pacific Northwest.

Stephen's treadle wheel

Steven Mickey studied pots at the University of Minnesota with Warren MacKenzie. He received an MA from University of Wisconsin Superior under mentor Jim Grittner, and an MFA from the University of Notre Dame with Bill Kremer. Mickey has taught at Earlham College and served as chair of the ceramics program at the Evanston Art Center. For twenty years, he has been full-time at Mt. Hood Community College and now makes pots full-time in his southwest Washington studio.

Careen Stoll spent much of her childhood aboard a sailboat, and it is no surprise that she went on to work in clay, drawn in by the sensual and immediate qualities of working with natural elements. Her first wood-fired kiln was a caternary that came with a decrepit farmhouse in Minnesota. Nearby, Stoll found her first mentor, Linda Christianson, with whom she took her first steps into the life of a studio potter. Stoll completed her degree from Utah State, and now is a full-time potter.

EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS ARE SUPPORTED BY:
BIWA