Omar Rayo

Ludwig Wilding

Op Art Inspiration!

I have come to the conclusion that I am SEVERELY influenced by the fascinating artists of the Op Art era.  Their ideas, lives, and of course their work resonate with me on so many levels I can't help but liken myself to them.  For this reason I am going to lump all of my favorite op artists together in the next few posts.  They deserve their own section on my blog because of their dominant impact on my work.

All of the op artists I have picked out inspire me in the same basic ways.  I want to glean from them their overwhelming and dramatic use of color and contrast, their use of minimalism and or pattern, and, of course, the optical, sometimes trompe l'oeil nature to all of their work.  I think that utilizing these techniques will give my murals a greater sense of depth and presence than I could achieve with just simple painting/glazing techniques.

-DJK

Jun Kaneko

Jun Kaneko is a Japanese-American artist that creates monumental ceramic sculptures...specifically ginat 9 1/2 foot heads and "dangos" which are closed, domed shapes.  He is revered for his proficiency in producing monumental sculptures and his skill in using painterly surface treatments.

I would like to incorporate his use of geometric shapes and strong contrast into my murals.  These elements create very strong visual interest and achieve a clean, cohesive look on each piece.

-DJK

Update On My Concept

Okay, so thanks to Nancy McCroskey I have now decided I definitely will be doing ceramic wall murals.  Tile seems to be the most transportable method of achieving such a large piece but I can't decide whether a tile wall mural is too hackneyed or not.  Anyways, I'm still stuck on this concept of subconscious, meditative imagery.  I really want to use this to inspire my designs, however, I also have another idea.  Music rules my life, I cannot do anything without a song playing or on repeat in my head.  Because songs are so important to me and have such a great impact on me I thought about using them to generate the subconscious imagery I need.  Simply listen to a song with my eyes closed on repeat for awhile and just let my mind wander.  I want to take those images, colors, shapes, etc. from the imagery and translate them into the murals.  I still seems I need a bit more direction with this, however, any thoughts or ideas on execution or a more solid foundation anyone?  I also need to think about surface treatment.  I love glazing but it is very unpredictable and hard to control.  I was thinking I may need to either simply paint the pieces with acrylics/oil paints or invest in some colored slips/underglazes and clear glaze and paint them that way.  Thoughts on this would also be much appreciated (specifically from you Prof. Harris) :)  Anyways, that's where I stand now, let's see where this takes me!

-DJK

Nancy McCroskey

I'm in love I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!!!  This is my home girl...this is amazing!  Nancy McCroskey creates ceramic wall murals inspired by nature.  These BEAUTIFUL murals have both recognizable and abstract forms and use both neutrals and brilliant color.  I have not been able to find whether she glazes or paints her tile or pretty much anything at all about her process, all I know is I'm inspired!

I want to do ceramic wall murals...I am settled on this!  We can work out the hanging and whatever later, but this is my medium...this is my jam, I WANT IT! :)

-DJK

Karen Swyler

Karen Swyler creates functional, sculptural pottery intended to capture the subtleties of nonverbal communication.  Her work features soft, smooth, curvilinear forms that delicately balance and interplay with one another.

Swyler's pieces caught my eye for their delicate nature and attractive composition.  I love how the pieces interact, the lines they create, and the gentle flow they possess.  I found myself staring at them for long periods of time seemingly entranced by their beauty.  I hope to use this concept of simple harmony in my pieces.

-DJK