8 ARTS January 19, 2009 • www.thequill.

ca

It’s Cold Out There, But at Least We Have Ceramics

Student works on display at Glen P. Sutherland Gallery highlight new artists on campus
Kristen Perrott | Arts Writer

This is my second brutally cold currently held at the AGSM

winter out here in Brandon,
Manitoba and although I have
very strong, almost hourly urg-
es, to get on a plane to Mexico,
I’m sticking it out here at BU.
Why not fly to Mexico, you
ask? Well the answer is quite
simply, that BU has this new
ceramics program which, in
spite of the ridiculous climate
in which it’s situated, has cap-
tured my attention.
While January in Brandon
does usher in bone-chilling
cold, it brings with it the an-
nual ceramics exhibition at the
Glen P. Sutherland Gallery on
campus.
This years show features a
wide range of work from stu-
dents of all levels. There is
a scattering of Monika Sor-
mova’s fabulous ceramic egg
shells. Kate MacDonald has a
unique collection of celadon
green vase forms. Ben Horne’s
“Inky Dinky Doo,” stands
proudly amongst a selection of
creative bowl and mug forms.
Sarah Elliot is showing a pair
of great playing-card men in
little cages, and Angie Currie
is putting together a radio-ac-
tive installation. There is even
a sampling of fine conceptual
work by The Quill’s Ottawa
correspondent, Neal Hackler.
The ceramics program at
BU is exciting and growing
fast. Renovations to the space
under the library will be com-
plete this coming fall which
means that intro level courses
studios will finally be move on
campus, joining their upper
level counterparts.
Ceramics as an art medium
is a slow and laborious pro-
cess and involves a lifetime of
research along with trial and
error. It is at times a frustrat-
ing undertaking, but Lin Xu,
the department’s well-loved
ceramics professor, ceaselessly
inspires her students to cap-
ture their visions in clay, while
at the same time, encouraging
them to push past self-imposed
limitations.
In my mind, working with
clay is like alchemy. You hope
and pray for gold, but you
never really know what you’ll
come up with after you mix all
these mysterious ingredients
together. Having to deal with
the unknown is really rather
therapeutic for us perfection-
ist types.
The show is worth seeing for
the ceramic work, but what’s
more, the exhibition this year
includes an absolutely beau-
tiful collection of aboriginal
artwork by students in the
indigenous techniques class.
Come out and see it all.
The Glen P. Sutherland Gal-
lery is located just a short dash
across the parking lot, south of
the gym.
The Ceramics and Aborigi-
nal Art Show runs from Janu-
ary 15 to 31. Gallery Hours:
Wednesday to Saturday 2 to 6,
Thursday 2 to 8 pm.

Photos:
Top right: “Torso,” Kate McDonald. Clay, oxide & glaze, 2008.
Top left: “Untitled,” Mary Wood-Mcneill. Clay, acrylic antique
medium, 2008. Middle left: “Bloodlines,” Monika Sormova.
Porcelain and thread, 2008. Bottom left: “Three Watery Days,”
Kristen Perrott. Clay and glazes, 2008.
Photos: David Kusnick, The Quill, 2009.