a n d u n d e n i a b l y S n i p e s . H e
w o u l d g o t h r o u g h t h i s p r o c e s s
m u c h , m u c h m o r e s l o w l y i n h is
s t u d i o , h e e x p l a i n s . A f t e r c a r v -
i n g a n d s c r a p i n g , t h e r e ’s m o r e
g l a z e t o b e a d d e d , m o r e l a y e r s
t o t h e s t o r y . F i g u r e s a n d w o r d s ,
b u t a l s o m a t h e m a t i c a l a n d s c i -
e n t i f i c i m a g e s , h i n t i n g a t a n
u n d e r l y i n g u n i v e r s a l i t y . A t
h o m e , h e a l w a y s h a s s e v e r a l
p i e c e s i n p r o g r e s s , w o r k i n g o n
o n e w h i l e a n o t h e r d r i e s .
W h e r e ’s h o m e ? R i g h t n o w
i t ’ s L a s C r u c e s , N e w M e x i c o .
H e ’ s j u s t r e c e n t l y r e l o c a t e d ,
h a v i n g s p e n t t h e f i r s t h a l f o f
2 0 11 in M i n n e a p o l i s , a s a r e s i -
d e n t a r t i s t a t t h e N o r t h e r n C l a y
C e n t e r . B e f o r e t h a t , h e l i v e d in
H e l e n a , M o n t a n a , f o r t w o y e a r s ,
a r e s i d e n t a t t h e A r c h i e B r a y
F o u n d a t i o n f o r t h e C e r a m i c
A r t s . B e f o r e t h a t , h e s p e n t s o m e
t i m e in C l e v e l a n d , i n c l u d i n g a
s e m e s t e r a s a v i s i t i n g a r t i s t a t h is
a l m a m a t e r . “ T h i s is t h e f i r s t
t i m e t h a t I ’v e b e e n j u s t p u r e
a r t i s t a n d n o t h i n g e l s e , ” h e s a y s .
I t ’ s c l e a r t h e t r a n s i t i o n h a s
h i s m i n d b u z z i n g . H e ’s t h i n k i n g
a b o u t s c a l e , a b o u t p u s h i n g h is
f o r m s i n t o m o r e s c u l p t u r a l t e r -
r i t o r y , b u t is s t il l d r a w n t o t h e
p o t t e r ’ s v e s s e l w h o s e c o n c e p -
t u a l q u a l i t i e s - f a m i l i a r , i n t i -
m a t e s c a l e , i n t e r i o r a n d e x t e r i o r
s p a c e - h e f i n d s s o m e t a p h o r i -
c a l l y r i c h . A s o l o s h o w t h i s s u m -
m e r a t B o s t o n ’ s S o c i e t y o f A r t s
a n d C r a f t s , w h e r e h e p a i n t e d
o n t h e w a l l s a s p a r t o f t h e i n s t a l -
l a t i o n , h a s h i m t h i n k i n g a b o u t
p u r s u i n g a l o n g - h e l d d e s i r e t o
d o m o r e 2 D w o r k . B u t h e ’ s a l s o
g r a p p l i n g w i t h t h e b u s i n e s s s i d e
o f t h i n g s , t h e d a i l y c h a l l e n g e s o f
m a k i n g a r t f u l l t i m e .
N o m a t t e r w h e r e h i s e x p l o r a -
t i o n s t a k e h i m , t h o u g h , i t ’s a s a f e
b e t i t ’l l b e o n e o f a k i n d . “ I ’m
a l w a y s t r y i n g t o g e t a t s o m e -
t h i n g t h a t ’s j u s t m e , ” h e s a y s .
+
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k e v i n s n i p e s . c o m
J u l i e K .
1 1
a n u s i s
A m e r i c a n
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’s s e n i o r e d i t o r .
Hey!,
2010
p o rce la in , g la ze s,
u n d e rg la ze s,
o x id e w a sh
12 x 11 x 7 in.
_____
Holy Cow,
2010
p o rce la in , g la zes,
u n d c rg la zcs,
o x id e w ash
11 x 8 X 4 .5 in.
S n ip es d o e sn ’t rush
an idea; this is an u n fin -
ish ed p ie ce o f g re e n -
w a re that h e ’s carried
w ith h im fro m stu d io to
stu d io o v e r the years.
0 5 2
a m
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Hey
!and
Holy Cow
photos (4): Kevin Snipes / Greenware photo: Chip Simons
