Please join Asher Gallery for an artist chat with Jeff Forster on Saturday, April 11th. A former resident artist at HCCC in 2009, Jeff went on to become Department Head, Ceramics, at the Glassell School of Art, where he has been for several years. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to chat with one of Houston’s preeminent sculptors and learn about his process and aesthetics.
Jeff Forster on ceramic painting:
For over a decade, I have been creating slabs using studio reclaim, applying different colors of clay and glaze discard much like one might in approaching an Action painting. While I typically build with these slabs, often, I am drawn to their painterly qualities before I manipulate them. As in all of my working processes, there is an element of mystery as to how these will fire out that I am drawn to, a certain tension between control and the unknown that fuels my inspiration.
Having equal roots in Modernist painting and traditional pottery, this new body of work is a balance of my origins as an artist. Additionally, I see it as an homage to the great impact that Abstract Expressionism had on contemporary American ceramics. The craft lies not only in the design but in getting different types of clay to coexist as a whole.
While you’re in Asher, be sure to check out our Members’ Spotlight Sale. Each month, we will feature select artists at a great discount for our members. You never know what you might find!
Above: Jeff Forster, “Molten Painting II.” Clay, glaze discard, wood. Photo by Amanda Shackleford.
