From the Ground Up  is a collection of nature inspired, abstracted, color photographs by Dennis White, as well as raku and traditionally fired works in clay by Martha Wallace. Together this work resonates with surface textures, colors and shapes arranged to elicit a sense of surprise and pleasure. It will be open for viewing in the Chessman Gallery, inside the Lincoln City Cultural Center, from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday-Sunday, and by appointment, June 11 through July 4.

The public is welcome to meet the artists at an in-person reception set for 5-7 pm on Friday, June 11. A Virtual Gallery Opening Tour will be posted on FB @lincolncityculture on Saturday, June 12.

From the Ground Up is a collection of color photographs and works in clay that are mostly drawn from nature. The compositions are a deliberate departure from full representation of the “pretty” objects and landscapes from which they are derived. All the photos on display are abstract pieces of larger objects for which the arrangement of shapes and colors can elicit a sense of surprise and pleasure. 

Clay comes from the ground, so just about anything made of clay fits the show’s theme. But for many of the pieces, the artist has used glazes and surface textures that resonate with the colors and textures of the photographs. Many of the objects have unusual or playful shapes, some reminiscent of nature, and some rather architectural.  The clay objects combine both raku and conventional glaze and firing techniques. 

DENNIS WHITE

Biography

“After years of working long hours on health reform, I have retired to the beautiful Oregon coast.  Now I have time to rekindle my passion for photography.  Long before digital, I studied Ansel Adam’s Zone System, a framework for varying exposure and development of black and white film to produce the final image that the photographer has visualized. The craft of photography as practiced in the Zone System has now been integrated into the digital world with its instantaneous results and additional photo refinements. While I have not taken advantage of the extreme manipulation possible in the digital realm, I do employ the enhancements that were possible, but tedious with film-based photography.”

Artist’s Statement

Composition and color (including its absence) are now front and center in my pursuit of photographic artistry.  I am particularly fascinated by the shapes, color, and light that might show up in anything from a landscape to lichens on rock or the detail of weathered paint on a fishing vessel.  Oregon is a particularly rich environment for photography with its diversity of beauty: cityscapes, mountains, rivers, farmland, forests and, of course, the Pacific Ocean with its headlands, tidal zones, waves, and wildlife. I hope that my photographs can connect with viewers in a way that communicates a little of the magic that I am finding all around us.

MARTHA WALLACE

Biography

“I have been doing ceramic art for about thirty years. I retired to the Oregon Coast in 2013, after working 25 years in manufacturing management, and twenty years as an Episcopal priest. Since 2013, I worked to refine my skills on the wheel and teach, both of which have been very rewarding personally.”  

Artist’s Statement

For the last five years, I have worked to master the making of fine porcelain dishware. In the last year or so, I have experimented with combining thrown and hand-built forms. I use both organic and architectural forms as embellishments to thrown forms to get more interesting shapes. Preparing for this show has allowed me to experiment with texture and color to create forms that hint at – if not actually resemble – nature.

For more information call 541-994-9994, head to lincolncity-culturalcenter.org, or become a friend on Facebook.

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