City and Ceramics:
architectural pottery and paintings of
architecture
July 15 to August 31
Featuring
Robert Pesce, ceramicist
Diane Waller, painter
@ La Mano Pottery
110 West 26th St.
New York, NY 10001
The exhibit is an exciting juxtaposition of two art
techniques by two dedicated artists.
Robert Pesce makes pottery thrown on a wheel at La Mano
Pottery. Diane Hardy Waller paints on the sidewalks
and in the parks of New York. Both have a unique style and spirit to their
art.
La Mano Pottery, est. 1998, the sponsoring organization, has
recently moved to this location in the heart of the new Chelsea. La Mano offers classes and artist
residencies to potters of ages and craft techniques. The gallery has been host to many respected
and loved potters in the NYC area. This
is a first show of combination of mediums.
Robert known as Bob to his friends says about his art of pottery,
“Art is the right making of that which has to be made. The artist
is compelled to create work by his/her inner self trying to express
emotion. I feel that the best art draws you into the work on a very
personal level. It is inner self talking to inner self. That dialogue
between you and the work is what counts whether it is one word or
volumes.”
Diane says about painting New York,
“When I am painting,
I know I am a citizen of the universe. I
co-create with something much larger than the local person who eats and sleeps
in a coop and paints on the streets of Manhattan. Painting outdoors on the
streets and in the parks, looking at the awesome skyscrapers and imagining what
is going on behind those windows too high to peek in gives me a feeling of
belonging to the world and the comfort of having a personal place in it. The buildings with the colors, shapes,
varying sizes and changing light inspire me to explore my inner architecture. “
Diane thinks Robert’s pottery is
beautiful beyond description and says, “
Bob’s
architectural
pottery pieces are as structured as New York City's sky scrapers; however the
undulating shapes are reminiscent of feminine form as in Botticelli's Venus or
Georgia O’Keefe’s flower paintings.
The
dignity and craftsmanship of these fluid and statuesque pieces bring to mind
and heart, classic beauty made
contemporary in a fine blend of curves and lines.”
Bob thinks of Diane’s paintings “Diane's paintings draw you into the scene and you become
part of it, a tourist in the city of her vision. When I see her cafe and umbrellas, I hear accordion
music as I stroll down the Champs Elysees. Her city towers make me feel like a young boy in
the forties in NYC, growing up as the city grows up around me. Her work is evocative, her style
impressive as well as Impressionistic.”
About Bob:
Born
in Brooklyn, NY in the early 50's, R.A.Pesce, known to his friends as Bob, has
been fascinated with ceramics since the age of four. Learning to throw pottery
on a kick wheel at age 15, his interest led him to ceramic/sculpture majors at
both Pratt Institute and Brooklyn College. At Pratt, he was the only sophomore
to have his work shown in the annual senior ceramic show and the one man show
of his wood sculpture at Brooklyn College showed him to be both talented and
skilled at his craft.
He
has designed dinnerware and flatware for the Farberware Company. Working as an
antique dealer, he specialized in pottery and textiles of the Arts and Crafts
period. The influence of this period is seen in much of his ceramic work today.
Take a look at his website:
www.rapesce.com.
About Diane:
Diane Waller has been an artist
her whole life. However, she started exhibiting in public in 1996 as a
photographer. Drawing and painting resurfaced after years of being pushed aside
for professional careers. After arguing
with her inner artist, Diane left the commercial world to be a full time artist
and took her business experience on to co ownership in La Mano Pottery studio
in Chelsea. Since then, all three
aspects of her art have been exhibited in galleries and exhibition spaces in
New York City, Florida, the Tri-state area and Europe. Diane’s photographs
appear in the award winning children’s books, “Where Does God Live?”, “Does God
Hear My Prayer?” and “Does God Forgive Me?”
The Bronx Zoo uses her nature photography in signage and various
Wildlife Conservation publications.
The other side of Diane is that
she was educated as an engineer, worked in the aerospace industry which she
left to get her MBA.
With that, she was
successful in the not for profit sector.
After finding that business less than satisfactory to her creative
nature and financial desires, she sold real estate in several states, landing
in NYC in 1980.
Looking deep within her
nature, in 1993, she was ordained as a minister. All in all, it came back to
making art full-time in 2002.
Today,
Diane is happily painting, taking photographs and making non functional art
clay.
Please visit her website to see
the latest.
www.dianewaller.com .
There will be an artists’ reception at La Mano Pottery on
July 20, 2012 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 110 West 26
th St.
NYC , NY
10001.
(212) 627-9450.
www.lamanopottery.com
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