The Potters of Energy Xchange
Featuring David Eichelberger

This gallery exhibit and sale will be available for viewing February 11 through March 11 of 2006. An artist reception and opening party will be held from 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, February 11, 2006.

David Eichelberger Artist Statement

Functional pottery is my preferred method for bringing art into everyday life. Working within these parameters allows my pots to be handled, creating a rapport between the user and the ware. On one hand, the relationship that develops is straightforward and inherent; on the other, it is beautifully intricate and multifaceted. I am captivated by the dialog between simplicity and complexity, which is a concept I endeavor to reflect in my work.

One aspect of this idea, and central to forms that I make, is the use of clean, graceful lines. For me, a delicately restrained change of direction within a curve can possess the same energetic tension as a jagged, sharp angle. I choose the quiet and subtle line over the flashy and abrupt one for its ability to be comfortable and at ease on the table, in the hand, and on display.

My attraction to line, curve, and edge stems from a fascination with the organic world, which began during my childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I am entranced when one tiny part of something can embody the same experience as the entire object, like the smooth, slick bark of a birch that is a metaphor for the tree's slender, gentle growth. Or when one inch of a curve in a pot's profile can capture the same feeling as the whole vessel. A goal of mine is to mimic the cohesiveness inherent in nature; in this sense, much of my work is an abstraction of the qualities I find beautiful in the organic world.

My choice of surface patterns suggests this same abstraction: brushwork squares in varying relationships are my reference to geometric structures that repeat in nature, both to the naked eye and under the microscope. Atmospheric salt firing and the simple use of glazes allow my work to maintain a truth to the material it is made of, either porcelain or stoneware mixes. Again, the balance between simplicity and complexity becomes a focus not only with the forms I make, but also with my surface treatment and firing preferences.

David Eichelberger Resume

Education

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA - B.F.A. Ceramics, 2000

Penland School of Craft, Spring 2002, Clay Studio

Penland School of Craft, Summer 2000, Clay Studio.

Experience

The EnergyXchange, Artist in Residence, Burnsville, NC, October 2004-Present. Full-time studio potter.

Santa Fe Clay, Warehouse, Retail, Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, June 2002-August 2004. Responsible for smooth operation of warehouse functions. Insured accurate and complete delivery of product lines to area potters. Educated and advised customers in their purchase of appropriate supplies including clay, glazes, kilns, and raw materials. Spoke knowledgably about ceramics to prospective clients. Promoted gallery sales and assisted in show setup. Digitally photographed work and sent email images to collectors.

Santa Fe Clay, Class Instructor, Santa Fe, NM, October 2003-August 2004. Demonstrate and explain forming techniques to adult class. Answer questions and provide appropriate direction on an individual basis.

Roanoke County Parks and Recreation, Class Instructor, Roanoke, VA, January 2002-April 2002. Taught adult class of beginner and intermediate students with an emphasis on wheel throwing and altering.

Penland School of Crafts, Work Study, Penland, NC, March 2001-May 2001. Worked in school kitchen in exchange for tuition scholarship.

Santa Fe Clay, Technical Assistant, Alleghany Meadows, 2004.

New River Ceramics Symposium, Technical Assistant, Nick Joerling, Silvie Granatelli, Michael Simon, Ellen Shankin, 2000 -2001.

Show History

January, 2003, Faculty Show, Santa Fe Clay, Santa Fe, NM.

July, 2003, Yunomi Invitational, The Kiln Door, Durango, CO.

May, 2004, Soda/ Salt National, The Clay Studio of Missoula, Missoula, MT.

December 2004 - January 2005, Common Ground, Leedy-Voulkos Gallery, Kansas City, MO.

February, 2005, The Contemporary Cup, Lill Street Art Center, Chicago, IL.

March, 2005, La Mesa, National Council for Education in the Ceramic Arts (by Santa Fe Clay Co.), Baltimore, MD.

May, 2005, The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, Santa Fe Clay Co., Santa Fe, NM.

September, 2005, Cups, Cups, Cups, Santa Fe Clay Co., Santa Fe, NM.

February, 2006, 30/30, Lill Street Art Center, Chicago, IL.