Title

Cary Esser: Natural Language

Department

Art

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 1-2018

Abstract

"Cary Esser: Natural Language," explores and expresses insights regarding the deep physical and psychological forces that move through the ceramic sculpture of Esser's Parfleche Series. Esser is an artist, like the shaman, negotiating the distance between phenomena and existence, or nature and life. Esser infuses space into liquid matter. Her formless voids are dwelling places for the imagination. They are wrought not by force or treason but by befriending the elements of earth, air, fire and water. Inspired by the white caves of Cappadocia and the Native American bison-hide carrying cases called parfleche, Esser presents a Noir Salon she has realized.

Esser's art practice calls forth references to Paulus Berenson and his classic text, "Making One's Way with Clay," M.C.Richards, "Centering,", Tom Yeshe's "The Thing of Everything,", Arthur C. Danto, David Abram's "The Spell of the Sensuous," Jim Melchert and David Shaner.

Esser’s catalytic art practice embodies the perspective we must embrace and emulate. Her works demonstrate that fragile space can uphold the infinite ecology of aesthetics where beauty is both light and dark.

Comments

https://www.mansfieldceramics.com/cap-articles/cary-esser-natural-language/

S. Portico Bowman is a professor of art at Pittsburg State University. Support for this essay was provided by a Pittsburg State University Fall 2017 Sabbatical Leave. Special acknowledgement to Garth Johnson, Curator, Ceramics Research Center, Tempe AZ where Bowman digitized (from cassette recordings) 1,352 of Gerry Williams’ Studio Potter interviews for the CRC Archive. The collection is a powerful gathering of the voices and stories of ceramics and their makers from 1976-2004. The author is grateful for the opportunity provided by this involvement and Johnson’s guidance.

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