Imagine a gallery composed of the best work that ceramic students have created throughout their years as an undergraduate, placed on platforms and perfectly lighted to showcase all they have learned.
This is what you can expect to find at "Dwellers on the Threshold" exhibit, which was created by six senior ceramic students to explore imagination, experience and perseverance. The project has enabled the artists to exhibit a wide range of individualism with a blend of contemporary and historical clay objects.
Ceramics senior Matt Kaminski said he was studying economics and business two years ago before he decided to go to school for something that made him happy.
"I was always expressed to as a kid that you can't be an artist," Kaminski said. "A couple years ago I was asked 'What makes you happy?' I just kind of took the leap and said screw it."
He also said that through this exhibit he can show other students that there are still people who are studying art and can make a living doing what they love.
"It's the idea that this can be done and if you want it bad enough then you got to put as much work as you would in everything," Kaminski said. "It's not just playing with colored pencils and clay."
Posted by KaminskiCeramics on Saturday, February 6, 2016
Ceramics senior James Pyper said students should attend the exhibit for a transformative experience. Each student brings something different to the table but essentially fit under a threshold.
"The individual collaboration shows a unique glimpse into ceramic making," Pyper said. "There are some cool kinds of connections between the pieces but it felt like we had to do a little more loose interpretation."
Photo by Christopher Ryan Phillips | Courtesy photo
However, ceramics senior Christopher Ryan Phillips said he believes that although each student presents something different, each submitted piece fits under the group's take on Van Morrison's song "Dweller on the Threshold."
"Individually we all have these different thoughts on how we push the medium and how we like to facilitate," Phillips said. "For instance, for me when I'm quote on quote on the threshold or whatever, I like to push different glazing techniques or visual aspects that will engage the viewer from afar."
He said he encourages students from all majors to take the trip to visit the exhibit.
"There is a large collection of different pieces," Phillips said. "It's not just pottery. It's very much sculptural based. We all have themes or ideas that we want to get across. More importantly it's just fun and visually compelling. Plus it's a great place to take a date."
For more information visit ASU's Gallery 100 or the exhibit's Facebook event page.
Reach the arts editor at rsantist@asu.edu or follow @ryanerica18 on Twitter.
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