Clinton Berry
CERAMICS
Artist's Statement
My goal is to create forms that have both artistic and functional value. Using the fluid, dynamic medium of clay and the interaction between clay, fire, and glaze my work combines traditional forms with elements of sculpture and painting. I am particularly interested in the formal aspects of creating, in getting each piece to work aesthetically. Balance, gesture and rhythm all must function within the structure of the work. The best explanations I have of the things I make are the things themselves. But, enough of that, as Warren MacKenzie has said, "Let the pots speak."
Bio
The seventh of eight children Clinton was born in a car on the way to the closest hospital. Closest is relative when you grew up in the Missouri Ozarks on a farm that was almost thirty miles from the nearest town. After going to graduate school at Illinois State University; Clinton lived for nine years in New York City working in a gallery, studying and perusing a career as an artist. They say if you live in New York City for ten years you will never live anywhere else. Not willing to make that kind of a commitment, Clinton accepted a position with a Norwegian shipping company working for one of their passenger lines; Royal Viking.
For the next six years the schedule was six months on the ships three months off three months at the corporate offices in Oslo Norway. During those six years Clinton visited every continent, most many times. He likes to say that if a country has a coast he has been there and because his duties included shore excursions he was fortunate to see the interior of most. Including crossing South America from Lima Peru to Machu Picchu, cross the Andes, down the Amazon, ending up touring Patagonia before flying from Buenos Aires with passengers back to Miami.
Family obligations required some rethinking and after returning, yet again, to graduate school at the University of Missouri-Columbia for one more degree, Clinton accepted a position at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1996. After living and traveling all over the world Clinton is proud to call St. Louis his home. The city is close enough to the old farm he grew up on to spend weekends helping with cattle and hay while offering access to world class cultural institutions, beautiful neighborhoods with some amazing architecture and, most importantly some of the best restaurants anywhere and Clinton has vowed to try them all (some many times over and over).
Training
BFA, MA, MA, MA, MLIS
Clay Apprenticeship/ Studio Assistant
Margaret Simmons, Studio Potter, New York City 1979-1981
Jane Arnold, Studio Potter, New York City 1981-1987
Woody Hughes, Studio Potter, New York City 1987-1988
Peter's Valley Craft Community, Layton, N J
Clay Studio Assistant 1985. 1986
Clay Studio Assistant Craft Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri
Classes/Studio Access 1997
Gallery Representation
Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO 2000 - present
Earthworks, New York, NY 1988
A Show of Hands, New York, NY 1988
Clinton also has gallery representation in Illinois and Kentucky.
Shows/Exhibitions
2012 International Orton Cone Box Show “Drinking Solo” Jurors: Inge G. Balach, Tom Coleman and Patti Warashina 2012
The Perfect Plate 5th Annual Lillstreet International Exhibition Lillstreet Gallery, Chicago Ill. Juror: Sandy Simon 2012
Clay Guild 2012 Teabowl National Kansas City, Mo. Juror: Bede Clarke 2012
Yunomi Invitational Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa 2012
River 2 River The Ceramics Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Bowl.” Jurors: Bunny McBride 2011, JoAnn Schnabel and Sanjay Jani
Workhouse Clay National 2011; Confinement. Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Arts Foundation, Lorton, VA 2011
Contained Spaces Compônere Gallery, St. Louis MO 2011
Drawing the Line: Utilitarian Pots. Fine arts Center Gallery, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 2011
Liquid Measure. Main Street Art Gallery, Edwardsville, IL 2010
Setting the Mood: The Artful Table. Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO 2010
From the Studio Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO A solo exhibition of functional work. 2009
Infusion 10 X 10, 11th Biennial Teapot Exhibition Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO. Fong Choo, Juror. “Bamboo Tea #2 with two tea bowls” Stoneware, soda fired, multiple glazes with brushwork. 2008
2008 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: John Neely, Bede Clark and Inge Balach 2008-2010
“Material Attraction: Diverse Reactions II”, an invitational ceramics exhibition. Jacoby Arts Center, Alton IL. 2007
15th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Market House Craft Center, Lancaster PA and, Wane Art Center, Philadelphia PA. Juror: Malcolm Davis 2007
Muddy River Arts Group Show Main Street Gallery Edwardsville, IL. 2006
Traditions Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO, A solo exhibition of functional work. 2006
14th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Market House Craft Center, Lancaster PA. Juror: Tom Coleman 2006
2006 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Steven Hill, Don Reitz and Inge Balch 2006-2008
Current Works David and Jacqueline Charak Gallery at Craft Alliance, St. Louis MO. A solo exhibition of stoneware work. 2005
On the road again Componere Gallery, St. Louis, MO. A solo exhibition of functional stoneware work. 2004
Convergence Muddy River Arts Group Show. Bonsack Gallery, John Burroughs School, St. Louis, MO. 2004
Emerging Artists Works from the Studios (Group Show) Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, MO. “Fish Jar” 2004
2004 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Janet Mansfield, Phil Rogers and Inge Balach. 2004-2006
The Vessel - Art with Function Componere Gallery, St. Louis, MO. A solo exhibition of functional, soda fired, stoneware and porcelain work. 2003
2002 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Willfredo Torres, Cuba, Mitsuro Shoji, Japan, Patti Warashina United States. 2002-2004
Publications
500 Vases: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Form (Lark Books, 2010)
500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of Animal Form (Lark Books, 2006)
CERAMICS
Artist's Statement
My goal is to create forms that have both artistic and functional value. Using the fluid, dynamic medium of clay and the interaction between clay, fire, and glaze my work combines traditional forms with elements of sculpture and painting. I am particularly interested in the formal aspects of creating, in getting each piece to work aesthetically. Balance, gesture and rhythm all must function within the structure of the work. The best explanations I have of the things I make are the things themselves. But, enough of that, as Warren MacKenzie has said, "Let the pots speak."
Bio
The seventh of eight children Clinton was born in a car on the way to the closest hospital. Closest is relative when you grew up in the Missouri Ozarks on a farm that was almost thirty miles from the nearest town. After going to graduate school at Illinois State University; Clinton lived for nine years in New York City working in a gallery, studying and perusing a career as an artist. They say if you live in New York City for ten years you will never live anywhere else. Not willing to make that kind of a commitment, Clinton accepted a position with a Norwegian shipping company working for one of their passenger lines; Royal Viking.
For the next six years the schedule was six months on the ships three months off three months at the corporate offices in Oslo Norway. During those six years Clinton visited every continent, most many times. He likes to say that if a country has a coast he has been there and because his duties included shore excursions he was fortunate to see the interior of most. Including crossing South America from Lima Peru to Machu Picchu, cross the Andes, down the Amazon, ending up touring Patagonia before flying from Buenos Aires with passengers back to Miami.
Family obligations required some rethinking and after returning, yet again, to graduate school at the University of Missouri-Columbia for one more degree, Clinton accepted a position at the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1996. After living and traveling all over the world Clinton is proud to call St. Louis his home. The city is close enough to the old farm he grew up on to spend weekends helping with cattle and hay while offering access to world class cultural institutions, beautiful neighborhoods with some amazing architecture and, most importantly some of the best restaurants anywhere and Clinton has vowed to try them all (some many times over and over).
Training
BFA, MA, MA, MA, MLIS
Clay Apprenticeship/ Studio Assistant
Margaret Simmons, Studio Potter, New York City 1979-1981
Jane Arnold, Studio Potter, New York City 1981-1987
Woody Hughes, Studio Potter, New York City 1987-1988
Peter's Valley Craft Community, Layton, N J
Clay Studio Assistant 1985. 1986
Clay Studio Assistant Craft Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri
Classes/Studio Access 1997
Gallery Representation
Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO 2000 - present
Earthworks, New York, NY 1988
A Show of Hands, New York, NY 1988
Clinton also has gallery representation in Illinois and Kentucky.
Shows/Exhibitions
2012 International Orton Cone Box Show “Drinking Solo” Jurors: Inge G. Balach, Tom Coleman and Patti Warashina 2012
The Perfect Plate 5th Annual Lillstreet International Exhibition Lillstreet Gallery, Chicago Ill. Juror: Sandy Simon 2012
Clay Guild 2012 Teabowl National Kansas City, Mo. Juror: Bede Clarke 2012
Yunomi Invitational Akar Gallery, Iowa City, Iowa 2012
River 2 River The Ceramics Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Bowl.” Jurors: Bunny McBride 2011, JoAnn Schnabel and Sanjay Jani
Workhouse Clay National 2011; Confinement. Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton Arts Foundation, Lorton, VA 2011
Contained Spaces Compônere Gallery, St. Louis MO 2011
Drawing the Line: Utilitarian Pots. Fine arts Center Gallery, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 2011
Liquid Measure. Main Street Art Gallery, Edwardsville, IL 2010
Setting the Mood: The Artful Table. Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO 2010
From the Studio Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO A solo exhibition of functional work. 2009
Infusion 10 X 10, 11th Biennial Teapot Exhibition Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO. Fong Choo, Juror. “Bamboo Tea #2 with two tea bowls” Stoneware, soda fired, multiple glazes with brushwork. 2008
2008 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: John Neely, Bede Clark and Inge Balach 2008-2010
“Material Attraction: Diverse Reactions II”, an invitational ceramics exhibition. Jacoby Arts Center, Alton IL. 2007
15th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Market House Craft Center, Lancaster PA and, Wane Art Center, Philadelphia PA. Juror: Malcolm Davis 2007
Muddy River Arts Group Show Main Street Gallery Edwardsville, IL. 2006
Traditions Compônere Gallery, St. Louis, MO, A solo exhibition of functional work. 2006
14th Annual Strictly Functional Pottery National Market House Craft Center, Lancaster PA. Juror: Tom Coleman 2006
2006 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Steven Hill, Don Reitz and Inge Balch 2006-2008
Current Works David and Jacqueline Charak Gallery at Craft Alliance, St. Louis MO. A solo exhibition of stoneware work. 2005
On the road again Componere Gallery, St. Louis, MO. A solo exhibition of functional stoneware work. 2004
Convergence Muddy River Arts Group Show. Bonsack Gallery, John Burroughs School, St. Louis, MO. 2004
Emerging Artists Works from the Studios (Group Show) Craft Alliance Gallery, St. Louis, MO. “Fish Jar” 2004
2004 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Janet Mansfield, Phil Rogers and Inge Balach. 2004-2006
The Vessel - Art with Function Componere Gallery, St. Louis, MO. A solo exhibition of functional, soda fired, stoneware and porcelain work. 2003
2002 International Orton Cone Box Show Jurors: Willfredo Torres, Cuba, Mitsuro Shoji, Japan, Patti Warashina United States. 2002-2004
Publications
500 Vases: Contemporary Explorations of a Timeless Form (Lark Books, 2010)
500 Animals in Clay: Contemporary Expressions of Animal Form (Lark Books, 2006)