Tina Folks and her ceramics are both getting noticed. Folks was recently appointed the new director of the Celadon Gallery in Water Mill, NY. The gallery is the home of The Clay Art Guild of The Hamptons. They focus on presenting high-end ceramics (functional and fine art) by members and invited guest who are masters of their art.
This is the featured image for November 2012 in the Potters Council's Sculpture Collection calendar. "3 Crows Akimbo" by Tina Folks, 2011. Red clay and glazes, 20 x 16 inches.
Folks began the year on a roll. Her ceramics were selected for a 2012 calendar produced by the Potters Council. Three of her figurative ceramics appear as the November image in the Potters Council's Sculpture Collection calendar.
Last weekend, Folks was accepted as first-time exhibiting artist in the Body of Work artist collective. The group held its annual "Body of Work" members show at Ashawagh Hall in Springs, NY on Mar 17 and 18. Folks was one of four artists newly accepted into the group of figurative artists.
Today, Folks presides over her first function as the new gallery director for Celadon Gallery in Water Mill. The gallery (and The Clay Art Guild of The Hamptons) is having a pot luck dinner for members tonight (Mar 24) to welcome the 2012 season. The gallery will open its "pre-season" with two shows in April. Solo and group shows by ceramic masters and guild members are held from May to October. A Holiday Sale from Nov 27 to Dec 6 closes out the gallery's 2012 season.
While professional accolades are noteworthy (and should be celebrated), Folks's art is equally worth noticing. Her ceramics are figures that conjure notions of spiritual guides or members of an undiscovered culture in the deepest wilds.
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"Priestess" by Tina Folks.
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The ceramics are built up in an intuitive way. The unique clothing suggests while each figure is part of an ancient culture, they are also individuals with their own path and role. Clothing can be elaborate dresses, intricate masks, jewelry, gloves, vests, coats and more.
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This figure features a colored mask, crown and gloves.
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Multiple dark washes give an antique feel to the works. Each piece is unique. The figure's identity arises from the process of making the artwork, Folks said.
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The art appears to be artifacts from an indigenous culture that could be from any location in the world. Whether this culture is historic or current and sequestered is unclear. If wonderings about their meanings and roles lead to spiritual pondering, viewers may have granted Folk’s wish for her art.
For Folks, her recent figurative ceramics are a spiritual exploration of ancient archetypes of animals and their meanings. The archetypes she connects with are those found in indigenous cultures. Folks’ search for spiritual meaning has implications for today. She plumbs the wisdoms of the past to discover meaning in her life's experiences as they unfold, she said.
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More artwork by Folks exhibited at the Celadon Gallery in May 2011.
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The deeper Folks explored animal archetypes, the more she discovered the "power animals and their medicine and how they can be guides for us in our daily lives," Folks states. With this knowledge came a peaceful place for her search through ceramics to continue.
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Tina Folks next to her art at the Celadon Gallery in May 2011.
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BASIC FACTS: Tina Folks has been a working ceramicist for over 25 years. She holds a BA in Studio Art from Marymount College in Tarrytown, NY and a BFA in Ceramic Design from Parsons School of Design in NYC. Her work can be viewed at http://tinafolks.com.
The Celadon Gallery's first exhibition, "Young People's Ceramics," opens on Apr 14. The "Spring Pottery Sale" opens on April 28, 2012. The show features function and sculptural ceramics by members of the Clay Art Guild of The Hamptons. The show remains on view through May 20. For an exhibition and event schedule, visit www.hamptonsclayart.org.
Besides holding the position of Gallery Director for Celadon Gallery, Tina Folks is a board member of East End Arts of Riverhead, NY.
The Potters Council Sculpture Calendar can be viewed (and purchased) here: www.cafepress.com/potterscouncil.581855463
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@ 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.
I love your work and I am happy for you! So glad to have had the time to speak with you about your creations. Go girl! Cynthia Loewen