September Exhibitions

AUGUST 6-31, Reception, Friday, Aug. 6, 6-8 p.m.

Timeless: Nature In Black And White

September 2-21; Reception, Sept. 3, 6-8 p.m.

Even though supersaturated color is available with just the click of a mouse, some artists understand the power of black and white. This month at BAC, six photographers use black and white and allow us to see both the details and the abstractions of Nature.

Tyler Boley, Raymond Gendreau, Colleen Meacham, Mary Randlett, Ken Smith, Kay Walsh.

IMAGE: Colleen Meacham, Oahu Sunrise, 5. Photograph.

Reid Ozaki: New Ceramics   

Simple form is the hardest to achieve. Reid Ozaki's pure, sculptural ceramic vessels have been displayed across the country, including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

Reid's new work has been wood-fired, a very tricky process, subject to variations in the size and shape of the work, the way the kiln is loaded, the type of wood and how dry it is; even the atmospheric pressure can effect a firing.

Once the kiln is loaded and the doors sealed, a small fire is started at the front of the kiln.  This is kept going with the intent of slowly raising the temperature in the kiln at the rate of 100 degrees (F) per hour.  While this is a tedious task, it is essential to allow the pots to heat up and the wadding to dry slowly.  After a certain point the fire is fed at a faster pace.  The goal is to reach 2200 -2300 degrees,  and to hold it for the rest of the firing.  The total length of the firing could be 72 hours or longer. Ideal results are achieved by a combination of time and temperature.  Insufficient quantities of either can mean poor results.

IMAGES: Wood firing, before and after. Photo: Tim Holt.

Nature On Paper:

Elizabeth Smith and Fumiko Kimura

Elizabeth Smith's meticulously detailed pen-and-ink drawings become a portrait of a tree - not just any tree, but a specific tree. Fumiko Kimura unites her training in both Japanese and Western art, calligraphy and collage.

IMAGES: Elizabeth Smith, Bedtime Story, 2010. Mixed Media with Gold Leaf. Fumiko Kimura, Kabuki Season, 2010. Mixed Media Collage. Photos courtesy of the artists.