nell devitt |
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2019 | After working with clay for many years I continue to be committed to clay, integrity in design, consistency and a sense of professionalism. |
1986 | Worked with post-firing techniques focusing on smoke fired sculptural tile installations. |
1985 | Began exhibiting with American Craft Council. |
1978 | Set up studio in rural Indiana and started producing a line of functional stoneware pottery, experimenting with different forms of raku and post-firing techniques. |
1976 | Apprenticed with potter Ono Yoshi in Kasama, Japan. |
selected exhibitions + publications |
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2019 | New Work, By Hand Gallery, Bloomington, IN |
2017 | Ceramic Retrospect, Miller Gallery, Waldron Arts Center, Bloomington, IN |
2011 | Smoke + Fire, Hand/Eye, Online Magazine |
2010 | Clay + Glass, John Waldron Gallery, Bloomington, IN |
2009 | Not Just For The Office, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI |
2008 | 2007 Reflections, Art Forms, Red Bank, NJ |
2007 | Clay On The Wall -- 2007 Clay National, Landmark Gallery, Lubbock, TX Not Just for the Office, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Reflections, Art Forms, Red Bank, NJ |
2006 | Raku, Cross Mackenzie Ceramic Arts, Washington DC Clayfest, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN |
2005 | Particles + Passion, the Art of Clay, Academy of Art Museum, Easton, MD For the Office, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Furniture: Form + Function, Virginia Brier, San Francisco, CA |
2004 | Tiles and Containers, Two Person Exhibition, The Gallery, Bloomington, IN Independent Colleges Exhibition, NCECA, Indianapolis, IN Integrity of the Minimal, Post Picasso On Line Juried Exhibition |
2003 | Women in Clay, Earlham College, Richmond, IN The Word Made Clay, Tile Heritage Foundation, La Jolla, CA Clayfest, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN |
2002 | 21st Century Tiles: From Earth to Fire, The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, St Paul, MN SOFA Chicago 2002, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI |
2001 | Clay Tiles, Two Person Exhibition, The Gallery, Bloomington, IN From Earth to Fire, The Catherine G. Murphy Gallery, St Paul, MN |
2000 | Group Exhibition, Art Forms Gallery, Red Bank, NJ Tile as Art, Greater Reston Art Center, Reston, VA |
1999 | Group Exhibition, Katie Gingrass Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Smithsonian Craft Exhibition, Washington, DC |
1998 | Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington DC Tiles, The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, PA In Indiana, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN Black & White Show, Forrest Scott Gallery, Millburn, NJ |
1997 | Fine Crafts, Art Resources, St Paul, MN Chelsea's Choice, Chelsea Galleries, Beechwood, OH Virtual Ceramics Exhibit |
1996 | Within & Without, The Intimate Moment, Muskingum College, New Concord,OH Born of Fire, Signature Gallery, San Diego, CA |
1984, 1996 | Two Person Exhibition, The Gallery, Bloomington, IN |
1995 | Virtual Ceramics Exhibit Group Show, Art Forms, Red Bank, NJ High on Tile, Silo Gallery, New Milford, CT |
1986, 1995 | Clayfest, University of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN |
1995, 1989 | Indiana Crafts, Artlink Artspace, Fort Wayne, IN |
1994 | Tile Exhibition, Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, IL Born of Fire, Signature Gallery, San Diego, CA High on Tile, Silo Gallery, New Milford, CT |
1993 | Crafts National, Zoller Gallery, University Park, PA Group Exhibition, Art Forms, Red Bank, NJ The Fine Art of Fine Craft, Gallery G, Tenafly, NJ |
1992 | Shadow + Light, Adams Art Gallery, Dunkirk, NY |
1991 | Monarch Tile National, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo, TX |
1990, 1991 | American Craft at the Armory, American Craft Council, New York, NY |
1989 | Primitive Fire, The Clay Pot, Brooklyn, NY Fireclay Group Exhibition, Contemporary Crafts Gallery, Louisville, KY Indiana Crafts Invitational, Artlink Art Space, Fort Wayne, IN |
1988 | The Art of Clay, Harcus Gallery, Boston, MA |
1987 | Women in Clay, Leeds Gallery, Earlham College, Richmond, IN Clay Spectrum 5, Craftsman's Gallery, Scarsdale, NY |
1987, 1986 | Pottery about Pottery, Treasure Boxes, Pinch Pottery, Northampton, MA |
1986 | One Person Exhibition, Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN Collectors' Choice, America House Gallery, Tenafly, NJ |
1985 | Contemporary Design and Decoration, Artlink Art Space, Fort Wayne, IN National Crafts Invitational, Hamm Brickman Gallery, Albany, NY |
1984 | Earthenware: Red, White and Black, Pinch Pottery, Northampton, MA |
1982 | Indiana Potters Guild Invitational, Indiana University South, Albany, IN |
1981 | National Cone Box Show, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN |
selected commissions |
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American Airlines, Chicago, IL Bloomington Convention Center, Bloomington, IN Butterfield Bank, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands Bunger + Robertson, Bloomington IN Charles Plaza Apartment Towers, Baltimore, MD Children's Hospital, St Paul, MN Cimarex Energy, Oklahoma Cremer, Spina, Shaughnessy, Jansen + Siegert, LLC, Chicago, IL Domus Realty Limited, Halifax, Nova Scotia Five Currents, Monterey, CA Fuji Film, USA, INC, Hanover Park, IL Granada Suite Hotel, Atlanta, GA Hyatt House, Indianapolis, IN Hewlett-Packard Company, Paramus, NJ ICSC, New York, NY Interculture Art Inc., Tokyo, Japan John Hopkins, Baltimore, MD Jump Trading, Chicago, IL., London, UK Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC, Chicago, IL Lowes Corporate Headquarters, Winston-Salem, NC Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington VA Macy's East, New York, NY Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI Pawling Properties, New York, NY Richcourt Fund Advisors Inc., New York, NY Robert Morris University, Chicago, IL Silver Oak Services Partners, Evanston, IL U.S.Trust Bank, Boston, MA Zweig Glazer Mutual Funds, New York, NY |
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statementI make smoke fired clay tiles -- black, abstract tiles that hang on the wall. |
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techniqueThese clay tiles are made by hand using a slab roller. A template is then pressed into the clay to produce the basic pattern. Textural detail is added by incising, carving and scraping. A clay slip is applied to areas for the semi-gloss surface. The black color and straw marks are the result of a post-firing technique of smoking. When the clay reaches maturation temperature in the kiln, the tiles are individually removed with a pair of tongs and placed in a closed reduction chamber full of straw. The straw ignites, oxygen is cut off, carbon molecules enter the clay - the tile is changing. This technique produces the highly irregular, imperfect and uneven surface. |