New Feature Exhibition in September August 20 2020
Stephen Heywood + Andrew Kozlowski
Intersection
September 5 - 26, 2020
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 5, 4-7 PM
Artists Talk: Friday, September 18, 11 AM
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Ceramic sculptor Stephen Heywood and printmaker Andrew Kozlowski share a mutual interest in exploring concepts that relate to architecture, objects, and history. They have joined forces to collaborate on a display that cohesively balances seemingly disparate processes without diminishing the impact of the individual narratives and characteristics that their works encompass.
For this exhibition, Stephen Heywood presents a series of vessels that reference architectural shapes and familiar utilitarian forms such as silos, cooling towers, and factories. Heywood elaborates, “The simple geometric shapes of these structures are often echoed in the main body and various parts of my pieces. Chimneys, windows, vents, smokestacks, and piping are integrated into my work as decoratively charged elements of visual interest. Sometimes these elements are incorporated into my work in the form of handles, lids, and spouts.” To add to the aged and weathered appearance of his sculptures, Heywood uses an atmospheric firing technique of soda and wood. This method creates surface qualities that suggest rust and patina while accentuating the sense of history and aged qualities observed in the buildings and objects he drew upon for inspiration.
In contrast, Kozlowski’s relief monoprints presents bold, colorful two-dimensional representations of dissimilar objects that prompt the viewer to contemplate how and why they have been brought together. Kozlowski elaborates, “I am curious about how our histories are shaped by objects we possess, share, discard, collect and hold dear. These objects provide a fascinating reminder that history has always been constructed from what has survived, either through careful planning, accidental circumstance, or willful evolution. The cast of characters, ranging from beer cans and building debris, to ancient urns and human remains, help me tell stories that span the intimate moments of individuals to the grand disasters shared by everyone.”
As a whole, the idea of Intersection, the crossing of paths, is central to this exhibition. Bringing these bodies of works together serves the purpose of heightening the similarities in each artist’s approach to the story of human interactions with objects and environments while collapsing the differences in their appearance. Independently each artist has taken a unique path, but together their work forms a more complete picture of how they see the world.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Stephen Heywood received his Bachelor of Science Degree in ceramics from Southern Utah University and his Master of Fine Arts Degree in ceramics from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Heywood exhibits his work extensively and had been in over 300 national juried shows and invitationals. He has received numerous awards and accolades including the honor of being chosen to represent the United States in the First International Ceramics Journal Editors Symposium Emerging Artist Exhibition in Xian China in 2004. He is a member of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts and a former board member for Florida Craftart. He has been a visiting artist at a number of colleges and universities throughout the country and his work appears in a range of publications including 500 Cups, 500 Bowls, The Best of 500 Ceramics and the Periodicals Clay Times and Ceramics Monthly. He is currently Professor of Ceramics at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
Andrew Kozlowski earned his MFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University and his BFA in Printmaking from the Tyler School of Art, Temple University, PA. His prints, works on paper, installations, and sculptural works have been featured in more than a dozen solo exhibitions and over 50 group exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. In 2009, he completed a residency at the Frans Masereel Center in Belgium. He was later awarded the 2011-2012 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship for his work in printmaking. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of North Florida.
LINKS
Joint Exhibition Statement
Artist Statement/Bio: Stephen Heywood
Artist Statement/Bio: Andrew Kozlowski