Autumn Cipala & Whitney River
Ebb and Flow
Autumn Cipala
I aspire to make forms that quietly engage the viewer, inspire curiosity, and invite a sense of discovery. These are objects that ask one to slow down, and to notice the subtleties of form, surface, and function. My intention is for these vessels to be used mindfully.
An assuredness of form is essential to this work. Curves, volume, and proportion are balanced with restraint. I prefer complex yet clean forms that are enhanced by soft translucent glazes. Consideration of balance continues as pattern is balanced with unadorned surface, cool color with warm, cup with saucer.
I am attracted to glazes that are most able to reveal the translucency of porcelain. These glazes are inviting to touch and soft in texture and color. The glaze surface varies among pieces, either possessing a watery shine, a silky skin-like quality, or displaying both of these qualities as the glaze stretches and pools to articulate detail.
I am interested in light for its ability to capture ones attention as it illuminates: fleeting sunlight on a tide-pool, or light beaming through a window to fill a porcelain bowl, creating an illusion of suspension. Inspired by nature, the luminosity of translucent porcelain, and openwork, I am composing pattern with light and shadow.
I look to historical ceramics for ideas and inspiration, and integrate elements of these works into my own as a celebration of our rich ceramic lineage. I am inspired by the work from many cultures, from China to Western Asia, North Africa, and the Americas: by work that embodies harmony, purity, elegance and a tranquil presence.
The play of cast light and shadow, a lilting edge, a jewel-like pool of glaze collected in a shallow dip: these are treasures that reside on the periphery of our attention. I am engaged in bringing these outlying elements into the forefront. With attention to detail, I hope to entice the viewer to linger in contemplation and reflection, developing an intimate relationship with the object.
Whitney River
The paintings in this exhibit offer a glimpse of the intrinsic beauty of quiet moments, and an invitation to appreciate the intricate details found in nature. Through close observation and realistic rendering of organic forms, I offer meditative compositions that evoke the human experience and our need for connection. The minimal arrangement of forms allows the viewer space to breathe, while offering a means to contemplate our own relationships, both with others and within the world we inhabit.
Whitney River graduated from Yale University in 1995. Since then she has shown extensively throughout New England, and her drawings and paintings are represented in many private and corporate collections. She is inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds her in Maine, both in the woods and by the ocean. She uses oil on canvas and graphite on paper to render found natural objects with great detail and precision. The simplicity her compositions emphasizes the way the organic forms interact with each other and with the space around them. Separated from their origins and presented without distraction, the viewer can focus on the individual objects, and appreciate them not only for what they are, but for what they might represent.
