George Rodriguez | Ritual Vessels | VIP Preview
My latest body of work is a collection of ritual vessels. Vessels that contain history and future. Vessels that capture human emotion. Vessels that create cultural connection. Vessels for an unspecified ritual. These vessels take the shape of animals, figures, vases and relics. When I think about clay, I think about the ritual of cutting my block, rolling slabs, gathering molds, and collecting my fork. I think about the different rituals I value and create for myself. I want to revert back to simplicity and let go of some material control. Go back to the transformation of glaze on clay. Go to a place of rediscovery. As I observe my human vessel and the rituals I rely on, I think about the impressions clay makes on my body. I think about the stress, the joy, the cracked skin and the sensitivity of my fingertips. I invite the viewer to wonder about the rituals that create or transform your own human vessel, what you hold, and how that shifts with time.
-- George Rodriguez, Statement for Ritual Vessels
Ceramicist George Rodriguez has sculpted clay for almost 20 years. His sculptures Mexican American Gothic and Seven Indulgences are included in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C., and the National Museum in Stockholm Sweden. His large scale public art installation Let the Music Take You recently opened on Concourse A of the Kansas City International Airport.
For complete artist history and links, please refer to the artist's primary page on our website.
Exhibition April 6 - 22, 2023
Opening Reception First Thursday, April 6, 6 - 8pm with artist in attendance
Artist's Talk, Saturday April 8, 2 pm
El Zodiaco Familiar at Whatcom Museum
Crosscut Interview and Film Feature
