Jon Clarke: Works of Awkwardness

Taylor-Jensen Fine Arts is exhibiting Works of Awkwardness, Ceramic Sculptures by Jon Clarke; the opening reception is 15th October from 5-7PM at the gallery. The photographer Dianne Arbus described how she had to place herself into ‘a state of awkwardness’ in order to reveal the truth of her subject. The sculptural works of Palmerston North Girls’ High School art teacher and artist Jon Clarke similarly reveal a perception of the world from an uncomfortable and disconcerting position.

Where to look at each work is to be aware that the artist holds an alternative view on how humanity is best portrayed. Each of the ceramic works, sometimes as singular pieces, sometimes grouped in sets, expresses a sense of desperation and despair, of pain, isolation, and loss. Themes of birth, sex and death resonant through each work, overlapping and responding to each other to excite yet disturb the viewer, to place them in that state of awkwardness as described by Arbus.

Working in both stoneware and porcelain clays, Jon references photographs, sketches and medical texts to ensure that a balance is met between creating a character that is sufficiently accurate that the viewer can sense a relationship to their humanity, yet is not restricted by the limitations of balance, structure or symmetry. Clarke describes the greatest challenges coming not from the subject matter but from the medium itself. “I push the clay to do things it simply doesn’t want to do. To support weights that are intolerable, to fill masses that are screaming out to explode. For every successful work there are two that have collapsed, blown apart, broken, or sagged, usually in the firing where temperatures reach 1250 centigrade and there is little room for compromise. It is enough to drive you insane.“

Over the last few years, since he re-started sculpting after a break of 25 years to work, raise a family, pay the mortgage, the artist has developed a number of techniques to help minimise the ruinous processes. Yet still many of the works carry the scars of a difficult birth, cracks run deep, limbs sag awkwardly, colours run unexpectedly, or just run out. “That the works are essentially damaged is actually a reflection of the intent of the work itself. This is not pottery; imperfections are inherently human and my works reflect these weaknesses.”

Jon Clarke studied photography and animation in London in the 1980s, working in a pre-digital age where if you wanted to move an object on the screen you drew it, again and again and again. After an OE in Australia working as a photographer and travelling he went to work and study in Japan. He then came to teach in Palmerston North and became increasing involved in digital arts. “I was designing language learning software for my students but whilst building up some great skills in programming and digital photography it was ultimately about functionality rather than aesthetics.” So in 2005 Jon went to TECOL. “I love teaching and the secondary classroom is where you really have to be confident and comfortable in the classroom, otherwise you get eaten alive. I was planning to be a technology teacher, but then an opportunity to teach at photography and design at Girl’s High came up and I jumped at the chance and have never looked back.” The art classroom has become to him both a vehicle to share his love of creativity and be inspired to revive his early passion for ceramics.

“One of my earliest works in 2007 was selected for the Portage Ceramic Awards, held annually in Auckland. That was fantastic as I received so much positive feedback, I hadn’t imagined that other people would so easily understand and relate to my work.” Three years on Jon is holding his first exhibition, and again he waits with curiosity to see how people will respond to his rather awkward view of the world.

Event listed by Stuart Schwartz

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