This month's selection was written by River Cortes, the head of Gateway's Pottery studio.
Photographs by Melanie Bernier
J.R. Ewing is the villain that Dallas fans love to hate, and Michele has sculpted him in clay.
Michele was not a sculptor before joining Gateway in 2004, but now she delights
in giving form to her favorite celebrities and animals.
Michele's intention was to create a straightforward portrait
of J.R. Ewing, and she has succeeded at that. But her process has left the
piece with a curious energy. The portrait is comprised of disparate media: unrefined
clay forms; acrylic paint, applied with evidence of masking and layered brushwork;
and details drawn on with paint marker. All of these convey ostensibly logical
information, but the unexpected combination of media creates an energetic
interplay of harmony and contradiction.
As with much of the work by Gateway artists, the strength in
Michele's piece exceeds the intentional. Its
physicality makes it easy for the viewer to be engaged not only by what Michele has deliberately created, but by what she has incidentally allowed.
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