Artist: Erin Carpenter
Erin Carpenter, IOWA
View Artist's Products
Objects reflect ourselves. My work captures the paradoxical delicacy and strength of porcelain. I draw my inspiration from historical reticulated porcelain, reinterpreted with art nouveau inspired patterns, and filtered through a contemporary lens. The play of positive and negative space draws the viewer deep into the piece; when viewed from certain angles, the carving overlaps and creates additional depth and pattern. The physical tension at each intersection, together with imperfect symmetry, contradict the enchanting elegance and perceived fragility of each overall form. The conversation between strength and delicacy, tension and depth, imperfection and beauty all resonate with my own humanity.
BIO
I grew up in the farmlands of Illinois, spending my free time exploring the fields, timber and creeks, accumulating scars in old barns, playing softball and swimming, fawning over spring kittens, and making crafts at home.
After graduating from Iowa State University with a bachelors in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Studies, I turned my focus to a new love—taekwondo. I currently co-instruct the APR Taekwondo program with my husband. I especially love training with and coaching the competition team and look forward to the national championships every summer.
Missing the creative process and reward of working with my hands, I went looking for a new artistic outlet and took a wheel-throwing workshop in the winter of 2012. Clay became an addiction, and I quit my day-job to be a full-time potter in 2015.
EDUCATION
Studio Assistant — Amanda M. Barr, Ames, IA August 2014 - August 2015
Bachelors of Landscape Architecture, Iowa State University — Ames, IA Graduated May 2008
CURRENT GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Phoenix Gallery. Lawrence, KS and Kansas City, MO.
Domestica. Des Moines, IA.
The Octagon. Ames, IA
EXHIBITIONS
2018 Clay AKAR, Yunomi Invitational — Iowa City, IA
2017
Main Street Arts, The Cup, The Mug — Clifton Springs, NY
LUX Center for the Arts, Mug Shot — Lincoln, NE
Octagon Center for the Arts, 49th CLAY, FIBER, PAPER, GLASS, METAL, WOOD Annual — Ames, IA
2016 Pottery Northwest, 8x8 Exhibition — Seattle, WA invitational
SELECTED ARTS FESTIVALS
2018 upcoming
Marion Arts Festival — Marion, IA
Columbus Arts Festival — Columbus, OH
Des Moines Arts Festival — Des Moines, IA
Uptown Art Fair — Minneapolis, MN
2017
Iowa Arts Festival — Iowa City, IA
Omaha Summer Arts Festival — Omaha, NE
College Hill Arts Festival — Cedar Falls, IA
Uptown Art Fair — Minneapolis, MN
MMoCA Art & Gift Fair — Madison, WI
2016
Iowa Arts Festival — Iowa City, IA
Stone Arch Bridge Festival — Minneapolis, MN
Uptown Art Fair — Minneapolis, MN
AWARDS/ACHIEVEMENTS
2017
Featured Artist: MMoCA Art & Gift Fair — Madison, WI
Honorable Mention: Octagon Art Festival — Ames, IA
ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS/REVIEWS
2015 Ceramics Monthly Tips & Tools: Enclosed Ware Rack (December 2015)
SELECTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2018 Workshop Demonstrator. Piercing and Luster. Iowa State University, Ames, IA