Regis Brodie: A Retrospective
July 5 - September 23, 2007

Lecture/Demonstration: Thursday, July 5th, 6pm
Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall
Schick Art Gallery Reception: Thursday, July 5th, 7 - 8:30pm
Exhibition Catalogue Available

Black & Red Form, 2006, stoneware, height 30 inches

Lines, 2006, mixed media on paper, 9 x 12 inches

The integration of form and decoration in Regis's porcelain and stoneware shapes and sculptures transforms and elevates his consummate craftsmanship, perfected by years of practice, beyond that of mere technical virtuosity. Many potters throw clay well, as does Regis. However, the special ability and skill with which he throws and manipulates porcelain, in addition to stoneware, on the potter's wheel is exceptional and exceeds that of many potters. His more classical polychrome ceramic vessels gently flatten and compress as they ascend, into suggestive anthropomorphic forms that simply soar, as if touched by the spirit of Brancusi. They provide a marked contrast to the abstract expressionistic tendencies evident in his paintings. These clear contrasts between the abstract two-dimensional paintings and the classical three-dimensional ceramic objects nevertheless possess a communal, linear calligraphic thread that defines them as extensions of the vision of Regis Brodie. This bond is strengthened by an emphasis on the silhouetted quality of the shapes themselves, created by that flattening of the shape as it lifts upward from its round, stable base toward the shoulder of the vessel, often capped with a small head-like appendage.

When one takes an overview of Regis's porcelains and sculptures, the nuances of development portrayed in the many variations of contour and surface treatment are clearly evident. To achieve these effects, which have been self-taught, Regis has developed and used a variety of clays, many forming techniques, and many processes. He carried out research using state-of-the-art industrial concepts as a basis of development. He transferred these concepts into the ceramic realm to develop his ideas and to build the ceramic studio at Skidmore College, where he joined the faculty of the art and art history department in 1969.

- Roberta Griffith, Arkell Hall Professor of Art, Hartwick College
(catalogue essay excerpts, "Regis Brodie, A Vision Defined")