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2013 Annual Members’ Show
Marlene Jack


Judge’s Statement

My initial review of the work in this Members Exhibition made me realize that the show was made up almost entirely of two-dimensional media. It is unfortunate that there is not more three-dimensional work represented here, and I recommend the Gallery encourage and welcome more three-dimensional artists to belong and participate. Aside from that, within the two-dimensional work there is a fairly broad range of media and subject matter. From watercolor, to pencil, acrylic, collage, photography, and more, such subjects as the figure, landscape, still life, abstraction, and botanical imagery were interpreted by each artist's eye and hand.

In selecting my list of works to recognize with awards I looked for various things. First off was the artist's point of view, their personal way of seeing their subject. Expertise in manipulating the media, compositional arrangement, expressive aesthetic, and overall attention to details were further important elements I considered. How all of these components were orchestrated by the artist into a cohesive whole was paramount to its total visual impact and success. As my eye travels across the surface reading the curve of a form, a line, a mark, or perhaps follows a color as it moves from a deep red to purple to black I am looking to be taken on a journey of discovering the image and what it has to tell me. The ability of a work of art to prolong the act of looking is an indication for me that it will also likely sustain itself over time. I think of it as "staying power", the ability to last over long periods of time--years--and continue to give something new each time it is encountered, enabling me to experience the work in greater depth.

Those works that were given Merit Awards were selected primarily because I felt they contained at least some, if not many, of the characteristics I have described. The top three Awards were chosen because these works stood out for me and engaged me more on both a visual and intellectual level. They are very different from each other, yet each has it's own distinct personal story to tell. And if you give each one enough time, it will pull you in and give you a very particular visual experience.

Marlene Jack

Artist’s Statement

"My pots are one way I define myself and connect with other people. They are about touch and use, the life of the kitchen and the pleasures of the table. They are also about the potential to enrich and awaken the routines and rhythms of our domestic environment and bring art, beauty, and intelligence to our daily private lives."

 

Carved Bowl, by Marlene Jack Green Oil Pot, by Marlene JackSquare Plate, by Marlene Jack

Biography

Marlene Jack is Professor of Art and Art History Emerita at the College of William and Mary where she taught Ceramics for 37 years. She received her M.F.A. in Ceramics from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She was on the Board of Directors of the National Council on Education in the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) from 1981-88, and was made a lifetime Fellow of the Council in 1989 in recognition of her contribution and commitment to education in the ceramic arts. Over the years her ceramic work has been included in over 200 invitational and juried national and regional exhibitions in museums and galleries across the country. She has worked both sculpturally and functionally in clay. Her sculptures incorporated figural imagery used to communicate ideas related to the human condition, particularly concepts centered on fear, luck, loss, and time. Her current work in porcelain is focused on one-of-a-kind and limited edition functional pieces for the domestic environment. She is interested in using the wheel as a starting point from which forms can then be altered by stretching or cutting the clay. Some forms are initiated using simple molding processes. Her work is influenced by the long history of pottery traditions in different cultures, but she designs with the contemporary table in mind.