Artist: Joe Kraft
Joe Kraft, ILLINOIS
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I make moves with marks, sometimes I think really hard about them and other times I just draw blindly. This is how the act of drawing works for me; it puts me in a different state of being. This state is never the same. Moving an oil stick along a piece of paper and scratching into a slab of wet clay with a knife are different, but both put me into that same state of drawing. Sometimes a feel like I’m holding my breath and other times the movements are knowing and rhythmic, free of restraint. These marks and scribbles and loosely drawn lines interpret the way I see the world. I take the secure and real state of being and reimage them through mark making. Quote from Gerhard Richter, “I work until nothing is wrong anymore; then I stop.”
Joe Kraft is a working artist in Chicago, IL. He received his BFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University in 2012. Upon graduation he received a Windgate Fellowship Grant and spent time traveling the Southwest to experience and research Land Art. He has been an artist in residence at Lillstreet Art Center, the AIR Ceramic Center in Vallauris, France and Guldagergaard International Ceramic Research Center in Denmark. While his primary medium is clay, Joe’s practice is rooted in drawing, which drives all other parts of his artistic work.
EDUCATION
2012 Bachelor of Fine Arts, NYSCC at Alfred University, Alfred, New York-Ceramics
2010 Associates in Arts and Science, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, Illinois-Ceramics
RESIDENCIES
2017 Guldagergarrd International Ceramic Research Center: Skaelskor, Denmark. April/May
2015 A.I.R Vallauris: Vallauris, France. September/October
2013-2014 Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 Rudimentary Drawings, Annex Gallery, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL.
Pop-Up show, In House, Chicago, IL.
2015
Winter Ware, Circa Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Tangles and Tangents, Hyperlink Gallery, Chicago, IL
Bridgeport Art Show, Bridgeport Art Center, Chicago, IL
2014
Let There Be Light, Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, IL
Winterfest, Baltimore Clay Works, Baltimore, MA
Winter Ware, Circa Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Make/Find/Solve Lillstreet Artist-in-Resident Showcase, Chicago, IL
Small Favors, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA
2013 2013 Winter Show, Water Street Studios, Batavia, IL
2012
Winter Ware, Circa Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
BFA Thesis Exhibition, Robert C. Turner Gallery at NYSCC at Alfred University Arranging
Function, Robert C. Turner Gallery at NYSCC at Alfred University Push, Robert C. Turner Gallery at NYSCC at Alfred University
2010
Art In Your Eye Festival, City Hall, Batavia, IL
Spring Show, Water Street Studios, Batavia, IL
Winter Show, Water Street Studios, Batavia, IL
Functional Relationships, Eugenia Summer Art Gallery at MUW, Columbus, Missouri
2009
Lillstreet International, Drink: Functional Forms for Every Libation. Lillstreet Art Center, Chicago, Il
Art in Your Eye Festival, City Hall, Batavia, IL
National Juried Cup Exhibition, Lux Center for the Art, Lincoln, NE
2008
Art in Your Eye Festival, City Hall, Batavia, IL
NCECA Regional Student Juried Exhibition, Pittsburg, PA
RELATED EXPERIENCE
2014
NCECA Panel Discussion: Nomadic Artists: Urban Residencies in Ceramics
NCECA Process Room Demonstration: Form, Line and Handle
Artist Lecture, Lillstreet Art Center, Lillstreet Loft, Chicago, IL
2013 Artist Lecture, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
2012 Artist Lecture, Undergraduate Lecture Series, Alfred, NY
2011-2012 Member of Alfred Clay Collective, Alfred, NY-Organized Artist lectures, workshops, sales and auctions for School of Art and Design
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2017 Advanced Mold Making and Slip Casting
2015-16 Ceramics instructor, Lillstreet Art Center- Art of the Still Life, Extruding clay, Red clay & color
2014 Ceramics instructor, Lillstreet Art Center-Intermediate Throwing, Advanced Handbuilding
2013
Ceramics instructor, Lillstreet Art Center-First Time Handbuilder and Intermediate Throwing
Visiting Artist, Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL
2012
Studio Assistant, Fall Concentration: Diversify Your Portfolio: Cone 3, Matt Kelleher, Penland School of Crafts
Senior Teaching Assistant, Junior Ceramic Tile, Anne Currier, NYSCC, Alfred, New York- Critiqued and led classroom participation and provided technical instruction
2011-2012 Alfred Ceramic Department Work Study, Freddy Fredrickson-Maintained raw materials lab, assisted in fixing kilns, built tables and furniture for students and labs, and redesigned material glaze lab to function more properly
2011
Senior Teaching Assistant, Junior Ceramic Systems, Heather Mae Erickson, NYSCC, Alfred, New York-Critiqued and led classroom participation, provided technical instruction in model prototyping, mold making and slip casting.
Summer Intern, Freddy Fredrickson-Summer school preparation, maintained ceramic studio, made clay and glazes
2006-2010 Ceramic Lab Assistant, Doug Jeppesen-Mixed clay and glazes, loaded and unloaded kilns of all kinds (electric, gas and atmospheric); knowledgeable in raw material and mixing rooms; helped assist students with conceptual or technical questions; helped run and maintain the studio in coordination with ceramic coordinator
AWARDS/ HONORS
2012 The Lisa Elwell Ceramic Artist Endowed Encouragement Award Alfred, NY
Wingate Fellowship Grant, The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design, Hendersonville, NC
2011 The Kiki Smith Scholarship at the Haystack Mountain School of Arts and Crafts, Deer Isle, ME
2010
1st place winner, Functional Relationships, Columbus, MS
Honorable Mention, 2010 Winter Show, Batavia, IL
2008 Studio Potter Undergraduate Award, Pittsburg, PA
SKILLS
Extensive knowledge of ceramic processes (Throwing, slip casting, hand and coil building);
Firing (gas oxidation, gas reduction, wood, salt, soda, updraft, downdraft, cross-draft, electric manual/programmable);
Kiln building; Basic maintenance, design and building;
Clay and glaze formulation and testing;
Studio health and maintenance.;
Equipment and material safety;
Computer (Photoshop, In design, Illustrator).