MICHAEL SMITHHAMMER

            “My intention is to provide viewers with an exhilarating, disorienting sense of wonder, similar to what one experiences while in a foreign country. It increases one’s awareness of the link between mind and world. I work n an improvisational manor, responding to how and what the material presents. When I first started, painting and drawing was enough. Later I started producing objects in wood, clay, metal, fibers, and plastics. Each material provides a particular challenge and resistance stimulating the process. Fabrication is an act of communication. I fabricate objects and images that are the embodiment of what I know lies beyond abstraction. There is energy in things such as plants, animals, human anatomy, and of course, space. There is also engineering or design, which dazzles and amazes with its infinite permutations.”

                                                                                    -Michael Smithhammer

            Michael’s ceramic pieces explore many of his mentioned influences; space, design, and nature. His works in our gallery range in size from small cups to potted planter to large, box-like pieces. Each is unique in its surface design, color, and texture. While some pieces appear stone-like with light pastel glazes, others are more richly decorated with deep earth tones and swirl motifs. While Michael’s ceramics can serve purely as decorative, it’s a bonus that they are simultaneously functional.