ceramics uaf Fall 2023 by Nicholas (Nick) Dwyer
Latest
House’n Crisis
Cone 6, made with dry clay bricks/scraps and assembled with a vinegar slip mix (not proper technique) and used oxide stains and light spray with underglaze.
Making the hand
I wanted to try to make a hand so I hand built it using my own hand as a quick reference. Cone 10 clay, OH-10. I used foam to support the hand and infilled the lines with black slip before the bisque fire. When it came time to glaze the piece I have been experimenting with AI art generation and using art breeder app website with the mixer tool I combined images of my bisqued hand sculpture and aded text prompts like sci fi and futurism and got some interesting results and could add more or less of my original image and the text prompts. I used it as a concept art for picking my glaze color palette. I had an idea what I wanted already going in and had suggestions from my mentor but found results that confirmed my plan. AI art is controversial and Im exploring its uses limitations and controversies. The hand was fired in a gas cone 10 kiln.
New Art in 2023-24
When Fighting Monsters
“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
Tesoro
The Fourth Beast
Diviner
Oceana
Flux
Lacuna
Babylon
Leviathan
Oasis
Witch Doctor
primitive, hi-tech
“primitive, hi-tech” from Nick Dwyer on Vimeo.
A video I made about my "Art & Tech" class projects (at the art school, at OU). Thanks to Brent and Pete for teaching me.
I think that this is a good start and hope it makes you want to try Arduino too.
Primitive, hi-tech is a statement about our mindset on technology and how it has changed over the ages of our existence. In so many ways we are still like our caveman past selves. Look at the kind of technology we possess…look what we use it for….
Nick Dwyer
Clay and Fire
Anasazi
Leviathan
These are the first ceramic artworks I’ve shared here. I am enjoying another outlet and medium, and ceramic clay is one of my favorites now.
Anasazi is a small coffee-type cup, and features a high fire glaze called “Zombie”. This batch was watered down, hence the more yellow than green and orange hues. The cup has three fingers or outshoots, echoed by three circular marks, hug your fingers and give while it is a smaller cup, it has presence on the table. I have long been interested in the Anasazi, and this cup sends me to some lost desert, reminds of artifacts and alien space crafts. I was once told that my ceramic art looks like it could have been dug up from the ground, and yet it has is its own style that is neither truly past or present.
Leviathan. It has evoked an idea of a ship or sails and also, shoes in me and people around me during its build. Shoe-boat just doesn’t have the same ring to it. The flowing lattice arches seems to follow the waves, and the connections and color transitions keep the eye moving.
I feel like each of my early ceramic arts could expand into additional work of a set or theme in the future.
Contact me for prices and availability.
NJD
SPIRE
Spire was my first class project focused on manipulation of steel. I fabricated this sculpture in the metal shop- metal saws, vice, mig welder, bolt cutters and a big ol hammer. Steel is definitely a cool medium, I will partake in the future. I’ve got some cool teachers here. NJD
Gauntlet
After a break from posting I’m back. I have been creating artwork during my word press black out and have a lot to update. Thanks for coming back!
More to come on this concept art. In the theatre of conflict, even an out matched and overran foe can even the odds through cunning and raw firepower.
Nick Dwyer .ART 