901.276.1251
July 8 - 31, 2011
An interview with Bryan Blankenship conducted by Memphis artist Dwayne Butcher.
http://artbutcher.blogspot.com/2011/07/bryan-blakenship-interview.html
Dwayne Butcher: Can you talk about your upcoming exhibition "Metes and Bounds"?
Bryan Blankenship: Metes and Bounds is a centuries old English system of describing general boundries of land parcels utilizing a landmark as a starting point. The system was brought to
the United States and is still in use in a few states today. I used the title of this system as a jumping-off point for creating the works in this exhibition. Since my youth I have been fascinated by aerial views of landmasses. I am particularly interested in the manner in which the three-dimensional environment we inhabit is visually flattened and simplified when viewed from above. I like to take these common images and translate them into uncommon works utilizing actual and implied textures enhanced by diverse color schemes. The pieces really don’t have much to do with documenting a place as much as representing the essence of a specific location that I have both visited on the ground and seen in an aerial image.
DB: How do you come up with the landscape imagery you use in these pieces? Are these places you want to travel to or have visited?
BB: Some of the pieces explicitly describe a certain locale or place I have visited, and some are just implicitly referential of generic aerial imagery. With the latter I feel more freedom to take liberties with the overall shapes and color schemes.
DB: Do you see these pieces more as painting or sculpture? Do you generally like to blur the lines between mediums? Or is that even a part of it?
BB: I see them more as two-dimensional works inhabiting some sculptural characteristics. I don’t consciously think about blurring the lines between mediums as much as I like the idea of redefining mediums. Many individuals that have seen pieces similar to the works in this exhibition have thought that the Masonite shapes were ceramic. I always assume they made that decision because they know me as a ceramic artist.
DB: How do you work between this series and the works that you showed at MCA's "Local Flavor" exhibition?
BB: The works in “Local Flavors” were much more revealing of my self-deprecating narrative. The works in “Metes & Bounds” truly are the eye candy that I was referring to in “Eye Candy” at the MCA show!
DB: Who are some of artist influences for this series?
BB: Sean Scully, Richard Schur, Bruce Robbins, Richard Diebenkorn.
BB: I see them more as two-dimensional works inhabiting some sculptural characteristics. I don’t consciously think about blurring the lines between mediums as much as I like the idea of redefining mediums. Many individuals that have seen pieces similar to the works in this exhibition have thought that the Masonite shapes were ceramic. I always assume they made that decision because they know me as a ceramic artist.
DB: How do you work between this series and the works that you showed at MCA's "Local Flavor" exhibition?
BB: The works in “Local Flavors” were much more revealing of my self-deprecating narrative. The works in “Metes & Bounds” truly are the eye candy that I was referring to in “Eye Candy” at the MCA show!
DB: Who are some of artist influences for this series?
BB: Sean Scully, Richard Schur, Bruce Robbins, Richard Diebenkorn.
DB: You are known as one of the best-known potters in the region, does the ceramic work influence this work or vice versa?
BB: I started my art career in ceramics and I have always believed that working with a material as unforgiving as clay has taught me a great deal about patience, perseverance, and craftsmanship. There are a lot of similarities in process between these works and making pottery.
DB: Does working as the 3-D technician for the U of M interfere with your studio time? Is it hard to work in the studio after helping people in a wood shop all day?
BB: The only negative aspect of having my studio at the University is that students are not always aware that evenings are my studio time and they will call on me to help them or need a tool repaired etc. With that one exception the energy of working amongst developing artists is quite refreshing and enlightening at times.
BB: I started my art career in ceramics and I have always believed that working with a material as unforgiving as clay has taught me a great deal about patience, perseverance, and craftsmanship. There are a lot of similarities in process between these works and making pottery.
DB: Does working as the 3-D technician for the U of M interfere with your studio time? Is it hard to work in the studio after helping people in a wood shop all day?
BB: The only negative aspect of having my studio at the University is that students are not always aware that evenings are my studio time and they will call on me to help them or need a tool repaired etc. With that one exception the energy of working amongst developing artists is quite refreshing and enlightening at times.
DB: What other exhibitions or events are upcoming?
BB: As always I will be at the Cooper Young Festival in September, and the Pink Palace Crafts Fair in October. In January I will be participating in a ceramics show at the Memphis Jewish Community Center’s Shainberg Gallery with Bill Rowe and Robert McCarroll.
BB: As always I will be at the Cooper Young Festival in September, and the Pink Palace Crafts Fair in October. In January I will be participating in a ceramics show at the Memphis Jewish Community Center’s Shainberg Gallery with Bill Rowe and Robert McCarroll.
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