Slumped Head

Robert G. Simon

Slumped Head

2010

Raku clay and sawdust; H14" W10" D11"

Sculpture and ceramics are like warring cousins whose mutual relation is a medium. Clay in its malleable state is sculpture’s tool for improvisation. Without it, my work would be unthinkable, as each piece is a synthesis of approximations to inchoate images in my mind, rather than a copy from life. The clay is modeled to create a chiaroscuro of surface, a pattern of light and shadow analogous to the tonal structure of a drawing but arising from the effect of illumination on the undulations of the sculpted form. When the modeling has reached a satisfactory state, the work would be complete except that the material is not yet in durable form. On the other hand, a ceramic artist shapes the clay as a dimensional canvas upon which to paint with minerals that get transformed by heat. Accordingly, the artistic intention is not fully visible until the object emerges from the kiln.

How might the alchemy of ceramics be channeled to augment a sculptural image while preserving its quintessential chiaroscuro design? The atmosphere inside a wood burning kiln would not seem useful to that project, as the firing process deposits overlay patterns of flashing and ash on the form that obscure its surface modeling and are intrinsically difficult to control. Against that outcome, I fire only to the cusp of vitrification, and deflect the flame by turning the back of the piece toward it. The clay body remains uncoated, and is only affected by the ambient atmosphere in the kiln. This method promotes a variant of flashing called “haloing”--a binary alteration of the color of the clay from warm to cool, consistent with the peaks and valleys of the surface. The ceramic process synchronizes with the sculptural form; there’s a wedding in the family.

About the artist: Robert Simon earned a B.A. in Art History at Washington University and a certificate in studio art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He has been a member of the graduate faculty at the New York Academy of Art since 1995. He is represented by the John Davis Gallery, which hosted his most recent solo exhibition in the summer of 2017. He is currently at work for his forthcoming 2019 solo exhibition as a featured artist of the gallery.

All information provided by Robert G. Simon

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