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BOTANICAL INLAY NICHE URN
FLORAL SPIRIT BOX
Biography of the Artists - Christine and Michael Adcock
After working in their separate
media in the same studio for five years, Michael and Christine Adcock began to
see the rich potential in combining clay and fiber. Working together, they
have created a collection of vessels that integrate low-fired stoneware,
natural fibers, metals and other media into harmonious union. The earthy,
primitive tonalities and textures of the fibers and of the sagger and
smoke-fired stoneware combine to create a vessel that reveals the various
media as being not only mutually compatible, but as actually enhancing the
inherent beauty of each. Michael and Christine have been collaborating for
over 20 years, and have never ceased to be inspired by the possibilities of
their craft. Their work is published and displayed in galleries, museums and
interior design showrooms throughout the United Sstates, Canada, Europe and
Japan. The Smithsonian Magazine recently presented their work as an example of
the best in the modern American Craft Movement. Michael began his formal
studies in Art and Ceramics at the University of California at Santa Cruz.
While there, he studied under the distinguished potter and teacher, Al
Johnsen, and later became his apprentice. Michael graduated with honors in
1972 with a combined degree in Ceramics and Art History. He went on to become
a successful studio potter, producing a line of hand-decorated porcelain and
stoneware functional pottery that was exhibited and sold throughout the United
States, Europe, and Japan. While living in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Christine
became interested in the functional art of indigenous people. She later
enrolled as an Art major at the University of California. After several years
of intensive study, Christine contacted some of the few remaining American
indigenous weavers, and arranged to live with them as an apprentice on the
Papago reservation. These women shared with her the spirit as well as the
skills of their ancient craft. Later, Christine worked with the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History in a program to revitalize the art of Chumash
basketry. Christine's work is displayed in galleries and museums throughout
the United States, Europe, Canada and Japan.
About Their Urns
For over 20 years, Christine
and Michael Adcock have been creating a line of fine art ceramics, which they
have sold in galleries and high-end museum shows throughout the United States
and Canada. In response to frequent requests for memorial urns, they have
created a line of vessels specifically intended for that purpose. "Our spirit
box urns are designed to hold the plastic containers used by the funereal
industry for cremains; all our other urns feature plastic liner bags. Our
vessels are elegant art objects, and are suitable for use in the memorial
ceremony, even when the final intention is to spread the ashes." Smithsonian
Magazine featured their work as an outstanding example of the modern American
Crafts movement. "However our urns are used, they are beautiful, life
affirming vessels, which have been treasured as art pieces for many years."
"How" the Urns are Created
The process of creating these
vessels of clay and natural fibers is an extended one, spanning a period of
several weeks for each piece. All vessels are hand-built from slabs of white
stoneware clay. The various parts are cut from templates, and hand assembled.
When the form has dried sufficiently to allow handling (the "leather hard"
stage), all notching, carving, and drilling on the pot is completed in
preparation for later addition of the fibers. The pot is then allowed to dry
completely. The first firing, the "bisque firing," hardens the clay. The
second, the "sagger firing," is the color firing. Each pot is placed in a
larger, lidded clay jar, called a "sagger." A variety of combustible and inert
materials, along with various mineral oxides and salts, are carefully packed
into the space between the two vessels. The saggers are then stacked in a gas
kiln where they are fired at a lower temperature. As the materials in the
sagger burn off, the smoke and fumes that are created permeate the clay body
and color the pot. As there is no glaze involved the clay surface retains a
quiet stone-like surface. After the firing is completed, we then apply the
collage imagery to the clay surface. The collages are combination of digital
prints, which we create by gathering the various autumn leaves, flower petals,
and other natural elements, which are arranged into a collage on a backing of
hand made paper. This image is then scanned, and printed onto and archival
quality matte photographic paper. The print is then overlaid with the
beautiful skeletal leaves of the Bodhi Tree from Thailand. The collage is then
inlaid and glued onto the clay surface, and framed with split and scorched
bamboo.
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