Artist: Paul Tholl

Paul Tholl, COLORADO
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 Statement:
The work that I make intends to narrate history through form and surface. The forms that I
am drawn to are heavily influenced by industrial, farm or automotive parts and equipment
from generations past. These forms are simple and characteristic of a time when most
objects were handmade in some sense of the word. These simple forms then become a
blank canvas for surface. A surface can tell you a lot about where an object has been, the
use it has been subjected to, and in some cases, who was using it. I try to invent surfaces
that tell the story of the object’s life and history. Even though I am creating things that have
never been used before, I tend to think of them as coming to me secondhand--with a
lifetime of history attached. The finished work tells stories of people whose day-to-day life was a bit messy and I like to imagine my pots being held by hands with thick calluses, grime under the fingernails and knuckles enlarged and scarred from too many years of working too hard.

EDUCATION
2006-2011 University of Wyoming
BA Ceramics, Painting
BA K12 Art Education

JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2016 - Irons in the Fire, Juried by Justin Rothshank, Companion Gallery, Humboldt TN
2017 - Last Call II, Juried by Jen Allen, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN
2018 - Last Call III, Juried by Brett Kern, Companion Gallery, Humboldt, TN

INVITATIONAL EXHIBITIONS:
2018 - Steinfest, Claymakers Arts Community, Durham, NC
2019 - Steinfest, Claymakers Arts Community, Durham, NC
2020 - Yunomi Invitational, Clay AKAR, Iowa City, IA