Pottery 101, 101 S. Main St., will host an opening reception for its new exhibit titled “Assembled Expressions” from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday.
The exhibit will be up until Dec. 2.
The show features works by Travis Hall, John Morehead and Ashley Pierce.
The three very different artists have a common theme in their approach to making art.
Travis Hall began drawing and painting at a young age but developed a special bond with clay when he was enrolled in the Associates of Fine Arts program at Central Piedmont Community College.
He has since graduated and has plans to further his education and eventually earn his master’s degree.
Travis currently works in his home studio where he creates his sculptural works from white and red earthenware.
The pieces he creates are playful and cartoon-like with an abstract flare.
This independent streak definitely shows up in his work.
Salisbury resident John Morehead grew up in the foothills of North Carolina and started making, building, and fixing things at an early age.
This love of creating has followed him throughout his life, as he has always been drawn to abstract art and sculptures.
Today, sculptures made from found objects are his specialty.
Friends and family have often referred to John as the “ultimate recycler”.
He has been creating these unique works of art for many years; however, since 2008, his sculptural work consists mostly of fanciful “fish” created from metal and wood.
Inspiration for his art often comes from treasures gathered at junk yards, auctions, friend’s attics, barns, and even the occasional dumpster dive.
His pieces are created in the “Fish Factory”, where he has boxes and bins of items categorized as eyes, fins, gills, tails, and other assorted parts.
Taking this scrap metal, wood, and other found objects regarded as useless and breathing new life into it, without guidelines or accepted standards, has become a passion for him. It is also a way to show others that everything new and shiny is not always the natural order of things. John currently resides in Salisbury, NC.
Ashley Pierce earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Visual Art from Eastern Carolina University in 2010.
She is currently a professor at Catawba College and works at Pottery 101!
“My work as a visual artist is very much still evolving,” Ashley said. “Both of my fine art degrees are concentrated in illustration.
Ashley said most viewers will immediately see the connection to cartoon and comic book culture in her representational work.
“Complex neutralized color schemes may help to steer away from this reference,” she said. “Lines are often used to depict energy and emotion.
“Subject matter often includes a figure or two enclosed in chaos or in introspection.”
A juxtaposition of dark and light subject matter is also a common theme, Ashley said.
Pottery 101’s gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.