Bill Gilbert

Working in the humanist tradition in ceramics, this predominantly vessel oriented work was created from the perspective of the back side of 50, as the human vessel begins to show the effects of time.  The pots were all fired in the New Mexico Woodfire Association Anagama kiln that we built in Cerrillos, New Mexico in 1999.

In the effort to position my work as environmental art, I turned away from the pottery traditions in ceramics and began to deal directly with clay as earth. Having started to work in adobe at the University of Montana, I decided to move to New Mexico to be in a place where adobe was far more than an art material.

This series of ceramic wall pieces completed upon returning from my work with the Quichua potters of Pastaza, Ecuador,  attempts to invoke a visual language based on physical impressions made in the clay surfaces. Each title is constructed out of four English and/or Spanish words run together to create a set of equivalent interpretations.

This work was inspired by my experiences working in cultures with artists who speak a different language and the degree to which we all rely on visual clues to communicate.  The materials and techniques employed are derived from those shared with me by Pueblo and Quichua artists. more >

My MFA installation at the University of Montana focused on my experience of waiting for the birth of our first child. The gallery was filled with a series barely lit of adobe forms and the sound of an unborn babies heart beat  dubbed over  waves crashing.

In the effort to move more fully into the realm of environmental sculpture,  I turned away from the pottery traditions in ceramics and began to work directly with clay as earth. After my starting to work with adobe in Montana, I decided to move to New Mexico to be in a place where adobe was far more than an art material.

Examples from early works exploring the possibilities for the use of traditional ceramic pottery techniques to create sculpture and mixed media installation.