The elements within each of the ceramic sculptures on display at duPont Gallery’s exhibition Confluence appear unrelated. But artist Jon McMillan maintains they are more alike than first meets the eye.
“The sculptures in this series address the concept of duality by bringing together disparate parts in a variety of relationships,” said McMillan, assistant professor of ceramics at the University of Mary Washington. “The idea of confluence informs the work through the physical reference to processes and materials, and through a metaphorical examination of diverging thoughts, traits, sources and forms.”
As the meeting point of two rivers, a confluence is often the place where clay collects over millions of years of erosion, McMillan explained. “By using this material to join seemingly disconnected objects and ideas, I hope to engage viewers, drawing them into a dialogue that pulls from universal inferences as well as deeply personal reactions,” said McMillan. “While these sculptures begin as an exploration of my own personality, they also seek to examine the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.”
These forms are suggestive but intentionally ambiguous, so that the dialogue between object and audience remains open ended, changing with each viewer, according to McMillan. “I select, distill and abstract forms and surfaces from multiple sources, recombining them to create objects loaded with connotations,” he said. “If the work is successful, it creates more questions than answers.”
McMillan will give an artist’s talk about his solo exhibition on Thursday, Sept. 15, at 4 p.m. in duPont Gallery.
McMillan holds a master’s degree in fine arts from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from James Madison University, where he also earned a minor in art history. After undergraduate school, he worked for seven years as a full-time studio potter before pursuing his graduate degree.
Currently, he makes functional and sculptural ceramic artwork, which are exhibited widely. His recent solo shows were at Tennessee Tech University, Mary Baldwin College and Luniverre Gallery in Cordes Sur Ciel, France. A finalist for the Zanesville Prize for Contemporary Ceramics, he was also awarded “Best In Show” at the 2013 Strictly Functional Pottery National Exhibition, among other honors.
The exhibition is one of two on display through Oct. 9 at the UMW Galleries. The French Horse from Romanticism to Surrealism: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is on display at the Ridderhof Martin Gallery. This exhibition is a collaboration between the University of Richmond Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. For more information, please visit UMW Galleries.
Amelia Roster says
Brilliant piece of creative art that makes us wonder about our inner feelings and connectivity with the environment. Also a very apt name for the exhibition; I hope we will get to see more creative pieces like these from the artist in the future.