Here/Now: Contemporary Narrative and Form in the Yunomi Exhibition Catalog

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Jeff OestreichOestreich’s yunomi are the product of a lifetime of exploration andinnovation in ceramic form. As a high school student in Minnesota,Oestreich attended a Warren MacKenzie and John Reeves workshopwhich started him on a trajectory to become one of the most reveredpotters of 20th century American Ceramics. He sought out Mackenzieafter this introduction, and originated a life-long friendship that beganwith an apprenticeship as a young potter. Oestreich then went on toapprentice with Bernard Leach at St. Ives pottery in Great Britain.Inspired by the Glensheen and DuPont Mansion’s craftsman-era greentiles, as well as the results of hundreds of glaze test tiles, Oestreichspent years developing surfaces that referenced Arts and Crafts glazesfrom the 20s. “I love the look of those glazes and was completely takenin,” he says. After experimenting successfully with soda firing as analternative to salt firings, Oestreich’s work took a new direction intoarchitectural referenced soda-fired porcelain and stoneware.Geometry and symmetry are hallmarks of Oestreich’s work. “NapierVillage in New Zealand, and all the Art Deco buildings triggered mydesign love from college.” Oestreich compulsively digests visualinformation, storing it in a vast mental library then translating this datainto his wheel-constructed forms. He often feels that his life’s work isanswering the question, “How to make a functional pot have depth andmeaning?” Oestreich says, “I’ve targeted the cup as the object to carrymeaning. The technical challenges of trying to tame the wheel havealways intrigued me.”14
Jeff OestreichYunomi, 2020Jeff OestreichYunomi with Dodads, 2020Small understated surface embellishments are also symbols for deeper meaningand personal investment. Triangles are an important motif in Oestreich work, as“the triangle patch on a prisoners clothing was used by Nazis as a symbol forhomosexuals; as a gay man I relate to this symbol.” Other simple pictographscarry great significance to Oestreich, where a series of cups have sprig moldedantidepressant medications or another series of yunomi are impressed withbuttons from his late mother’s button collection. “The quest is how can I bringmore meaning into my yunomi? How can I honor my mom? How can I honorthese memories?”Jeff OestreichYunomi, 2020Jeff OestreichYunomi, 202015
Page 1 and 2: HERE/NOWCONTEMPORARY NARRATIVEAND F
Page 4 and 5: Ashley BevingtonAshley Bevington’
Page 6 and 7: Candice MetheCandice Methe creates
Page 8 and 9: Candice MetheMeoto Pair #3, 2020Cer
Page 10 and 11: Lesley McInallyA native of Glasgow,
Page 12 and 13: Reminiscent of landscapes, the actu
Page 16 and 17: Liz Pechacek“My yunomi series is
Page 18 and 19: Using her pinch/coil technique, Pec
Page 20 and 21: Amy SmithFigurative Yunomi withKnee
Page 22 and 23: Snipes thinks of his ceramic work a
Page 24 and 25: Shoko TeruyamaShoko Teruyama grew u

Here/Now: Contemporary Narrative and Form in the Yunomi Exhibition Catalog

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