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Happenings in the Keweenaw Peninsula June 1, 2006 Press release and photos © 2006 Finlandia University. Reprinted with permission.

Finlandia to exhibit "Progressions," wood-fired pottery

HANCOCK -- Finlandia University's Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) Gallery will host "Progressions," an exhibition of wood-fired pottery by artists Kenyon Hansen and Simon Levin June 2 through July 7, 2006. Featuring over 100 pieces of clay work, "Progressions" gives viewers a rare glimpse into the process and progressions of creating wood-fired pottery.

An opening reception for the artists will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday evening, June 2. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Kenyon Hansen, originally from Channing, Michigan, is a Finlandia University BFA graduate ('05) who has been working as an apprentice to Simon Levin since November 2005.

"The American apprenticeship fills the need for further training of artists, especially those not seeking teaching careers," Levin explains. "The show at Finlandia is a great opportunity for both of us to plan for, market and set up a cohesive show."

Ceramic artists Simon Levin (left) and Kenyon Hansen will exhibit their wood-fired pottery from June 2 through July 7 at the Finnish American Heritage Center in Hancock. (Photo © 2006 and courtesy Finlandia University.)

Levin, who received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Grinnell College in 1990 and a Master's of Fine Art in Ceramics from the University of Iowa in 1998, is in a strong position to act as mentor to the recent art graduate. The founder of Mill Creek Pottery Studio in Wisconsin, Levin is a full-time studio artist dedicated to making artwork that creates meaning, communicates emotion and infuses everyday life with beauty.

The real life experiences of living and working so closely with an artist and his family gave Hansen lessons in life that are not taught within the university's walls, lessons that will ultimately shape the course of his artistic career. The seven-month apprenticeship also gave him the time and resources to expand on the technical skills he had developed during his education at Finlandia University.

Wood-fired pottery by Kenyon Hansen. (Photo © 2006 and courtesy Finlandia University)

Reflecting on his artistic growth since graduating, Hansen notes, "My experience working as an apprentice to Simon Levin offered me an opportunity to explore my own voice while observing the life and process of an artist I respect. The gifts I received from working as an apprentice were the ability to apply constructive criticism to my work while not losing the simple joys of making a cup or pulling a handle, as well as the opportunity to hear an artist talk about his work with passion and honesty. The philosophy that guides Simon will influence me for the rest of my life."

Levin has been mentoring Hansen in the clay technique known as wood-fired pottery. In this technique the clay firing is done in a wood-fired kiln, rather than the gas or electric kilns used in many of today's clay studios. Wood firing is a labor-intensive technique in which wood is used as fuel, with the artist attending to the kiln throughout the entire firing process, which may last several days.

Reflecting on the process, Levin adds, "Wood firing is an intense and communal activity. For each firing we have a crew of four to six people who take shifts working around the clock for four days to load and fire the pots. The pots reward you by showing the passage of time and flame and labor. Each piece is a narrative telling the story of every log split and the journey of ceramics through a river of flame. Those who participate in a firing feel a strong connection to the pottery they tend. And those who use wood-fired pots can sense and read that story and continue the tale of interaction by eating and drinking out of the pottery."

According to Levin, wood firing is an ancient process rich with variation. Wood-fired pots today rest on thousands of years of history and innovation, he notes.

"The unique surface quality of a wood-fired clay piece reveals this fusion of technique and artistry," Levin explains. "With no two pieces alike, each wood-fired pot is a unique story of its form and firing."

For Levin, it is the intimate connection forged between potter and process, as well as the resulting beauty, that draws him to the wood-firing technique.

"Firing with wood has several inherent qualities. Along with a distinct wind and directionality, high temperature wood-fired pottery has the narrative quality of a surface created through process," Levin says. "The ash and flame moving through the kiln etch their paths across the ware. The ash melts, forming a natural glaze bonded to the clay. I make my work to take advantage of these variables -- enhancing forms and painting with the fire. The loading of the kiln takes a day and a half because placement determines the pot's markings. I am in an evolving cycle of conversation with form, technique, kiln, process and utility."

FAHC Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.