(Left) #14 Beauty Series. (Right) Held. Deneece Harrell, artist
In October, The Lucy Clark Gallery, in Brevard, features the work of ceramic artists Deneece Harrell and Janie Packer, each of whom approaches clay in a communicative way that, ultimately, explores human nature. Harrell creates sculptural porcelain pieces that suggest conversations between beauty and resilience, and Packer compares her work with clay to a “wild dance” between the clay and herself.
Dream Rider. Janie Packer, artist
An artist who had always worked primarily in paint, Packer discovered sculpting when, during a family vacation, she took on a joking challenge from her father-in-law to create a portrait of him using beach sand. Packer was pleasantly surprised by the results. “That was when I decided to pursue sculpture as a way to express myself as an artist,” she says. “My work deals with the poignant experience of being human: the trials, tribulations and joys; the sacred and the mysterious.”
It is after she starts to build a form that the “dance” begins in her process. “It seems to know the steps and where we are headed,” she says of the clay, “so I blithely follow along, taking my cues from a bend or an outcropping in the clay. I just let the dance go on until I have made something.” At that point, she steps back to see what has evolved. “If it makes me smile, the refining process begins,” she says. “Lucy Clark has told me that viewers’ faces light up when they see my work at the gallery. That has been my goal as an artist. I experience so much joy when I do my work.”
Harrell creates her vessels from “torn, marred, stretched, irregular organic forms layered in connections.” Throughout her process, the techniques only add to the dialogue between contradictory elements such as beauty and resilience, and pain and joy. They represent “fragmentation and unity held in juxtaposition,” she says.
She credits Clark for her “discerning eye and her ability to present the work of her represented artists in a setting that makes living with art seamless. Local galleries are the heart and pulse of a community,” Harrell adds, “and host conversations that enrich the lives of all who engage.”
The Lucy Clark Gallery & Studio is located at 51 West Main Street in Brevard. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12–4 p.m. To learn more, visit LucyClarkGallery.com or call 828.884.5151.
