Kelli Damron

ceramic sculptor

American Ceramics 14/3

KELLI DAMRON
Clay Art Center
Port Chester, NY

Art galleries are often dry and sterile places. Wall works march along in soldierly order; sculptures sit on their pedestals in prim isolation. Not so with the gallery at Clay Art Center where Kelli Damron celebrated her year's residency. She turned the gallery into an ancient temple and filled it with her voluptuous female nudes. High upon the wall is a frieze of small nudes, and below these on the floor, are three nudes who dance with each other in a circle, forming an altar. A series of pairs of legs cavort on a lower shelf, reflecting the gestures and movement of the full figures in the "temple". To complete the image, each piece sits on its own ceramic pedestal, created to echo classic Greek and Roman pillars.

Damron's figures are closest in spirit to Niki Saint Phalle's "Nanas" -- these are large women who exult in their very largeness. The Nanas express exuberance with their wildly decorated clothing, while Damron's nudes express theirs with their sprightly poses and subtle smiles. The Nanas represent woman in the abstract, while Damron's have anatomically accurate bodies and faces, and each has a distinct personality. To convey the message without declamation, Damron balances the folds, creases, overhangs of the bodies with finely, but tiny, articulated heads, hands and feet. The figures stand on one leg, adding to their sprightliness and delicacy. The pairs of legs, separate from the bodies, emphasize their importance to convey mood, from shy to sly to saucy.

Each figure is hollow, built up from toe to head with slabs. Each slab is tucked, shaped and stretched from inside to create volume. Parts are carefully attached, as the form evolves. Pieces are fired at cone 04 and are finished with either underglaze or paint, and then buffed with wax. The "flesh" is luscious, the attitude is gleeful.

A milestone accomplishment for a new voice in clay, Kelli Damron's work is profoundly beautiful.

Ruth Berelson

site info

© 2001-2006 Kelli Damron. Design by Andreas Viklund.