"How are we as a society going to leave our mark on the world?" - Steven Cheek
"Killing Fields Bourbon Bottle Set" by Steven Cheek, Porcelain, 10x5x5in, 2016, POR
The allure of ceramics is so often in the holding of well-crafted functional objects; to wrap your hand around a favorite mug, warmed to the touch by the hot liquid contained within. The form and textures of hand made pottery are a visceral, sensual pleasure.
In his work, Steven Cheek anticipates that aspect of the work by populating his exquisite surfaces with unexpected motifs that express unsettling themes.
“My work is designed to challenge the viewer’s ideals and thoughts about what is beautiful,” Cheek explains in his Artist’s Statement, “and to encourage the viewer to contemplate issues that are taking place all around us, but which are often uncomfortable to discuss.”
“I strive to engage the viewer by juxtaposing beauty with the ugliness of the world in which we live. It is my intent to marry the beautiful classical vessel with imagery that subtly confronts the viewer to think about a deeper issue. These issues include war, the impermanence of life, environmental destruction and man’s inhumanity to man and our response to these things.”
“It is my goal to raise several questions; how do we mark or mourn the passing of lost ideals? How are we as a society going to leave our mark on the world? Are we going to leave the world a better place? Will we learn from the mistakes of those that came before us?”
"Car Bombing" by Steven Cheek, Porcelain, 4x3x3in, 2015, POR
Cheek has taught at the University of Louisville, Bellarmine University, Indiana University Southeast, and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
Cheek will be participating in first Southern Crossings Pottery Festival (SXPF), which he is coordinating with Amy Chase and Jason Bige Burnett. SXPF will take place March 2 & 3, 2018 at Copper & Kings in the Butchertown neighborhood of Louisvile. The event will showcase potters in the Ohio River Region, including Lexington, Cincinnati, and more. The festival will also include the Empty Bowls Benefit Dinner @PLAY Louisville on March 3, 2018.
Hometown: Born Hillsboro, OR Education: BFA in Ceramics from the University of Evansville and an MFA in Ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Website: www.stevengcheek.com Instagram:
Scroll down for more images
"Oak Leaf Bottle" by Steven Cheek, Porcelain, 8x6x6in, 2016, POR
"Whats In Your Water?" by Steven Cheek, Porcelain, 14x8x8in, 2006, POR
"Killing Fields Mug" by Steven Cheek, Porcelain, 4.5x3.5x4in, 2017, POR
"Pope Lick Monster" by Kathryn Combs, Lithograph with screen print, 18x25in, 2017, $425
Although Kathryn Combs’ image is a simple, albeit dynamic, point-of-view of a train trestle, the incomplete fields of text that fill in the open areas of sky hint at something else; an urban folk legend placed in southeastern Jefferson County that positions the highly-placed train crossing as the home of a hybrid creature known as “The Pope Lick Monster.” The legend includes that the “sheepman” lured young people out onto the trestle, and the facts are that more than one tragic death is tied to the location, which the artist follows through on with grisly, yet enigmatic, suggestion.
"A Story About 1960" by Kathryn Combs, Lithograph, 18x10in, 2017, $200
“My work explores the relationship of individual history and common experience. In my art, I combine technology with traditional print media in the form of digitally rendered images put to a plate with any combination of lithography, screen printing, etching, drawing, collage and hand coloring. For each print I conduct intensive research, tapping into public records such as geographical maps, photo archives, and biographical databases. I am also inspired by firsthand accounts, local legends, and oral history. Using these resources, I compose images that contrast familiar scenes with unusual and uncanny features. I like using elements within my prints that play on the viewer’s visual literacy. Glassware and keys become shorthand for domestic life, historical photos of small towns are synonymous with Americana, and famous artworks are tantamount to our entire experience as viewers of art. I interrupt this visual code with color, drawing, and layering of visually represented data (e.g. maps or charts). These interruptions tip off the viewer that there may be more to the image than expected, and convinces them to take a second look.”
Combs uses archival photography to connote specific places and/or times from the past, attempting to connect history to present experience in a combination of collective memory and contemporary printmaking technique.
Combs’ work will be included in the Senior Thesis Exhibition scheduled to open March 1st at the IU Southeast Barr Gallery in New Albany, Indiana, as well as the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, Juried Exhibition, Indiana University Southeast, which runs through February 18, 2018, and was curated by Amethyst Beaver (21c).
Hometown: Crothersville, Indiana Education: BFA candidate in Printmaking at Indiana University Southeast - Graduating in May Website: www.kathryn-combs.com Instagram:@kathryn.combs.art
Scroll down for more images
"Aaron" by Kathryn Combs, From "Looking Longer" series, Screen print, 15x20in 2017
"Christi" by Kathryn Combs, From "Looking Longer" series, Screen print, 15x20in 2017
"Michelle" by Kathryn Combs, From "Looking Longer" series, Screen print, 15x20in 2017
