PHILADELPHIA – Aug. 22, 2013 – This fall, The Clay Studio in Old City will take on a subject not normally associated with the delicacy of ceramics: the riotous realm of owls, dogs, elephants, birds, horses and other beloved creatures. From Adelaide Paul’s mixed-media sculptures and Linda Cordell’s porcelain figures to Shoko Teruyama’s precious objects and Sue Tirrell’s fine-art dinnerware, these exhibitions address animal rights and celebrate the beauty of wild and domesticated animals. Sponsored by Philly Pet Hotel & Villas, the shows will kick off with a free First Friday gathering on Friday, Sept. 6, from 5 to 9 p.m.

The Clay Studio is located at 137-139 N. Second St., Philadelphia, PA 19106. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. For more information: 215-925-3453 or theclaystudio.org.

Fauna: Adelaide Paul and Linda Cordell, on view Sept. 6-Oct. 27, displays the work of two former Clay Studio resident artists: Cordell’s meticulously sculpted, lifelike porcelain figures depict animals juxtaposed with everyday domestic objects, raising questions about our need to control or deny nature’s ugly realities. Cordell, a 2003 Pew Fellow in the Arts, focuses on animals’ more base tendencies: hunger, aggression and reproduction. Rooted in an aesthetic reminiscent of the grand European porcelain manufacturers reflecting a lifelike realism and classical style, her meticulously sculpted porcelain figures depict animals juxtaposed with everyday domestic objects, with afflictions or in compromised situations.

Meanwhile, Paul, passionate about animal welfare, presents work that addresses wild vs. domestic animals with a gentle approach. Her figures, in combination with mixed media and found objects, comment on man’s inhumanity, gender issues, breeding, gluttony and more, challenging viewers to be better, more considerate humans. Paul spent nine years working with horses and later took a veterinary anatomy class with a desire to better understand what lies beneath the skin of the animals she was sculpting. She now works as a teacher’s assistant in the gross anatomy lab at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, in addition to teaching at the Maryland Institute College of Art.

In conjunction with their own exhibition, Cordell and Paul also have invited five artists to display their work in the group show Animal Instincts (on view Sept. 6-Oct. 27). These artists include Tim Berg, Christina Bothwell, Rhonda Chan, Lindsay Pichaske and Susan Schultz.

Later in the fall, The Clay Studio will present a solo show by Ohio-based clay artist Jenny Mendes, whose whimsical animal sculptures and painted objects will be on view Oct. 4-27.  

Also Available in September
Japanese artist Shoko Teruyama’s hand-built boxes, bowls, vases and serving pieces are inspired by sacred spaces and ceremonial objects and made of earthenware with white slip and sgraffito decoration. Her work (on display Sept. 6-29) is seemingly whimsical, but reveals itself to be something more devious and interesting. “I create characters based on human relations and things I have experiences,” says Teruyama. “To me it is much easier to draw owls than humans.”

In addition, Montana artist Sue Tirrell’s folk art-inspired ceramic work is available for view in a self-titled, 100-piece online-only exhibition, through September 25 at theclaystudio.org/exhibition/sue-tirrell.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Exhibitions:
Sue Tirrell (online only)
Aug. 22-Sept. 25
 theclaystudio.org/exhibition/sue-tirrell

Shoko Teruyama
Sept. 6-29, Bonovitz Space

Fauna: Adelaide Paul and Linda Cordell and Animal Instincts
Sept. 6-Oct. 27, Harrison and Reed Smith Galleries

Jenny Mendes
Oct. 4-27, Bonovitz Space

Events:
First Friday at The Clay Studio
Fri., Sept. 6, 5-9 p.m.

Member Appreciation Day
Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Members are invited to visit The Clay Studio for free workshops (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) using live animals as models; afterward, attendees can adopt new pets from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS).