"Shaping Sound" by Cameron Petke

I had the opportunity to visit the MFA show of Cameron Petke, a fellow Hood Ceramics Program participant. His opening reception and thesis talk was on the same night as the Curious Creatures reception, so I wasn't able to attend. With the gallery empty of people, however, I was able to take in the art quietly and I actually prefer that to a room full of chatter. His polished porcelain bells give a long clear tone when tapped by the mallets he set around the gallery, so I went around the whole gallery and rung all of the bells in turn. Beautiful!

Since I missed Cam's talk, I appreciated that he set out his artist statement and short explanations of his thesis goal, process, and results. Cameron's website says "The ringing of a bell clears the mind, signals the time for tranquil thought and contemplation, and reminds us of the transitory nature of life (as it rings, rises, and fades). Throughout the history of humankind, bells have marked beginnings and endings, times of war and peace, and for me they have become symbols of things lost and periods of self-discovery."

You can see more pictures and read about Cameron's work at his website for Baked Clay Studio.