DIRECTORS NOTES | GROWING COLLECTIONS

Recent years have given collectors and museums an unprecedented opportunity for building public collections ceramic art 1950 – present through gifts and funded acquisitions. At Ferrin Contemporary we see first hand the generosity of donors who are making it possible for artists to create new works through funded commissions and their support of exhibitions that activate and build upon permanent collections.

With each acquisition, we witness the steady process and dedication of curators as they consider how these artworks fit into and are subsequently added to their collections. These efforts continue as exhibitions are curated, catalogs published and permanent collections reinterpreted.

The work that takes place behind the scenes for each object acquired is not always visible. The process leads to important documentation as new research and scholarship is made public when objects are placed on view. This information becomes even more widely accessible and searchable through digital means on museum websites. Catalog essays, new photography, and interviews with both collectors and artists provide valuable narratives. Each object’s provenance, concept, and its broader context are explored and important biographical information about the artists’ lives recorded. Connections are made as archival materials emerge and donors provide personal narratives about their collecting and artists about their practice. Generational linkages are established among communities when seen in photographs taken during studio visits. Archival printed matter from the original exhibitions and financial records emerge that illustrate the interconnections between artists, galleries, and the collectors who support them.

As we embark on an exciting year we thank the donors, curators and leadership that makes it all possible for artists to create new works and share them with audiences throughout the world.

Learn more:
CURRENT & UPCOMING

Cristina Cordova, “Cosmología isleña (Island Cosmology)”

2021
Ceramic, metal, resin, wood
Figure and pedestal: 90 x 45 x 44″
Figure assembled with Plantains: 60 x 27 x 26″
Pedestal: 30 x 18 x 18″

LEARN MORE HERE

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Sharon Karmazin, Ann Cousins and Lillian Giornelli, Brenda Erickson, Clemmer Montague, Irene Sinclair, Fred Gurtman, Laurence and Rita Sibrack, Ted Rowland, Larry Brady, Sharon and Robert Buchanan, Lee Rocamora, and John Thompson, and museum purchase through the Windgate Foundation Living Artists Acquisitions Fund, 2022.69A-G

Cristina Córdova, “EVA XV”

2022
Unglazed: finished with burnished earth pigments from the island of Puerto Rico mixed with casein, lime, and oxides
60 x 18 x 22″

Acquired by the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA.

Currently on view permanently in the Spanish Ballroom. Installation images courtesy of the Figge Art Museum.

I am excited to share this new cycle of my classic full-figure program. Throughout 4 days of live demonstrations and daily feedback reinforced by prerecorded material, students will create a clay figure out of slabs using a simple armature and patterns.

Students will then work independently throughout the rest of the month with ongoing e-mail support before reconvening for an online show and tell.

The full set of videos is yours to keep forever. All patterns and diagrams will be available to download through 2024. All live demos will be pre-recorded if you can’t make the class.

What you’ll get: encouragement, guidance and accountability

• You will receive a virtual kit with scaled photographic views, patterns for the entire body, additional references, and diagrams to support your sculpting for three different female figures.
• More than 25 concise, pre-recorded video tutorials on the entire figure to reinforce live demonstrations, yours to keep forever.
• 14 hours of live demonstrations and co-sculpting via Zoom (Wednesday-Saturday)
• Daily personalized feedback from Cristina on your progress to troubleshoot and answer any questions.
• Additional feedback via photos (see below) during the independent work period (October 12- November 10).

How this will work

Upon enrollment, you will have access to a list of tools and supplies needed to build your armature, prepare your patterns and references and get ready for the first day of class.

Although we include tiled versions of the reference posters we recommend taking the references folder to your local print shop to have the posters printed in large format printers without the need for tiling. Use the measurement keys in each image to make sure all are printed at the right size!

*Tiled images are PDF documents that break down a large image into standard printer size units, allowing you to print and puzzle them together at home.

BONUS MATERIAL!

In addition to the original set of patterns for Figure A (see right), I will be offering patterns and reference materials to sculpt 2 additional models (B & C). All of these are yours to keep and try as you grasp the technique. Please note that although the pre-recorded material and written instructions reflect the construction of different (yet similar) standing figure the techniques and construction protocols are exactly the same for the development of all the figures utilizing the different sets of patterns and photographic references.

I will be demonstrating the construction of FIGURE C throughout our live Zoom meetings. You are free to sculpt and receive live feedback on any of the three model options you choose to work on throughout our time together.