“Lowell Hutcheson creates wheel-thrown vessels using raw clay and slips gathered from the shores of Lake Ontario near her home. Her surfaces reveal the marks of time—cracking, pitting, and subtle variations that emerge through layers of locally sourced materials. There is a remarkable balance in her work between reverence for historic pottery traditions and an awareness of the ecological uncertainties shaping our present.”

Vestige is a body of work born out of a desperate need for personal reconnection with the land I live on and acknowledgement of the ways in which climate change threatens her future. Inspired by stories from people living on and around Lake Ontario, I have spent the past year digging, testing and modifying local, wild clay and materials from the lake shore and Lake Ontario watershed to use in my ceramics, reducing, as much as possible, my reliance on commercially mined materials. Ultimately, this series aims to create a non-politicized entry point into conversations about the need to protect and care for the incredible area I call home.

Vestige asks what it means to create objects that have survived countless civilizations. As the lake faces mounting pressure from a changing climate, these pieces sit at the intersection of geologic time and ecological urgency, asking what remains when systems, natural or human, begin to fail.

~ Lowell Hutcheson

I’m fascinated by the ways in which surface and form, as well as lines and proportions interact with each other. They can work together in harmony, or they can clash, but every aspect must be considered.

In this body of work I play with the juxtaposition of different convex and concave curves. Using the textured vertical lines and chattering to emphasize the contrast between them. The stark contrast of the inverse curves, and the texture leads your eye up and down the piece.

I consider design as well as function to create objects that are both beautiful to look at and satisfying to use. Functionality has historically been part of the reason ceramics is often relegated to the status craft instead of Art. For me though it is an important part of my practice. There is an added sense of intimacy and care that is created when sharing a meal or a drink served in a handmade object. They can become conduits to create and maintain community. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my wonderful family members, friends, and mentors I have bonded with over shared meals and conversations.

~ Alex Bernius

My recent abstract vessel sculptures have grown out of a collaboration with my studio assistant, Kailey Mattus. Bringing her background as a painter to the process, Kailey approaches handbuilding with an intuitive eye and an adventurous spirit. Together, we explore the relationship between texture, volume, and gesture, creating forms that speak to endurance in the face of adversity and the passage of time.

“From Lowell’s richly surfaced vessels made with locally gathered materials, to Alex’s evolving sculptural approach to functional pottery, to the abstract vessel forms Kailey and I have developed together, this exhibition explores the many ways clay holds memory, expresses change, and endures through time.”

Mitchell•Giddings Fine Arts offers contemporary art in a variety of media, featuring emerging and established artists.

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