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Sue Staten Kassirer
In Conversation with Nature
Clay Sculpture and Words
Artist Meet & Greet
Monday, July 14th
6:30 - 7:30 pm
The Garden of Shadow and Smoke is a group of sculptures in which human, plant and animal forms meld to form a kind of dreamscape. This work is intended to spark a sense of relation toward all of nature. That the human world is interwoven with and integral to those of beings of all types.
This theme carries throughout my work. I believe that if we are to accomplish a healthy coexistence with the earth, we will need to develop a sense of respect toward the environment and all its inhabitants. As expressed so well in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s popular writing, paraphrasing here: What we do to one, we do to all.
My generation saw the start of the environmental movement, somewhere around 1962 with the publication of Rachel Carson’s book “Silent Spring.” I was three years old when that was published. I was too young to read, but of the right age to absorb the echoes her writing left on our culture. Hers was one of the first loud voices speaking out in alarm to the world about the threat we pose to it. It is 63 years later and we are late to heed her call. Why is that? I believe it is our disconnect from and lack of respect for the world we live in.
In this show, I speak to an awareness of the beauty and the mystery that exists in the world around me. I am sharing poems that I have written, based on my thoughts and the ongoing conversation I hold in my mind as I move through the woods and wild places around me. They are my reactions to nature, open-ended and fueled by curiosity. I share them with you in the hope that you too will connect with and think about your own relationships with the wild. I truly believe this will be the key to humans finding a more balanced place in the world.
A word on my techniques and materials:
I mainly use stoneware clay that is burnished and fired in contact with the flame and smoke. I make use of this ancient process as well as standard electric fired methods. These techniques produce the satiny, unglazed surfaces in the earthy tones that I love. The techniques I use were developed from two sources; Dominique Toya and her mother Maxine Toya in New Mexico, both master potters of Jemez Pueblo and from Tim Scull in Connecticut who generously shared his amazing technique for creating the botanical imagery you see on some of my pieces.
I will often assemble several parts in a single piece as this is the best way to achieve the range of color, texture and detail I am seeking.
Most works are unglazed and occasionally make use of “cold” finishes, ones that are applied after the firing. These can include, but are not limited to wax, gold leaf, and enamel paint.
About the Artist:
Sue and her husband Rich moved to the Pioneer Valley eight years ago, returning to a place that stole her heart back in the early eighties when she was a student at UMass.
After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Sculpture, she moved east and pursued a career in graphic design. She and her husband met as co-workers at the Boston Herald newspaper, started a volleyball team, got married and had two wonderful kids. With his encouragement, she returned to her studio art and outfitted a ceramics studio in their home. Over the years, and to her great advantage, she has shared that space with many students and friends.
Sue draws inspiration from the work of indigenous potters, poets and writers, in particular, the poetry of Joy Harjo and from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s best-seller “Braiding Sweetgrass.” These two contemporary Native American writers that speak to the cultural kinship that can exist between humans and the natural world, have shown clearly that there is a different way to live in relation to nature.
Her artistic interests also include installation art and theater design for props, scenics and large-scale puppets.
She was cofounder of “Art Grows Here,” an annual outdoor tour of art in Hamilton and Wenham, Mass. The show started in 2009 and continues to this day through the Wenham Museum.
For more information and photos or to contact her by email suekassirer@gmail.com. You can view her portfolio at www.suekassirerclay.com or find her on social media at @Hidden in the Hills Studio
Exhibitions and Installations:
“Mudpie Potters’ Holiday Sale” Barnes Gallery at LC&A 2023 and 2024
“Out of the Shadows” Barnes Gallery, Leverett, Mass, 2022
“Advice from a Mushroom” Green River Fest, Greenfield Mass, 2022
“Advice from a Mushroom” Florence Night Out, Florence, Mass, 2021
“The Heart and the Harrows” Hope and Feathers, Amherst, Mass, 2018
“Crane Estate Art Exhibition” Crane Estate, Ipswich, Mass 2018
“Plot” Davis Art Gallery, Worcester, MA, 2017
“Marblehead Festival of Arts” (awarded honors) Marblehead, Mass, 2016
“Group Exhibit” Curated by Sarah Johnson, Ipswich, Mass 2015
“Outfoxed” 2017 (group show) True North Gallery, Hamilton, Mass
“Illuminated” 2016 (group show) True North Gallery, Hamilton Mass
“For the Birds” 2012 (group show) Gallery Della-Piana, Wenham, Mass
“Down to the Sea” 2011 (group show) Gallery Della-Piana, Wenham Mass
“Art Grows Here” 2011-2015 Hamilton and Wenham, Mass.
Individual installations:
“Eminent Domain” 2011
“Postcards from Home” 2012
“Wave of the Future” 2013
“Fantastic Fungi” 2014
“Jump for Joy” 2015
Team installations:
“The Picnic: An Untold Story”
“Fairy Ring”
“Magical Garden”
“Guest Artist” Artworks On Main Street, Wenham, Mass 2012
“Open Studios” Redbrick Artist’s Cooperative, Beverly, Mass, 2001
“Member’s Show” (awarded honors) A Brush with History Gallery, Lowell, Mass, 1990
Theater Design:
Open Road Theatre productions:
Midsummer Night’s Dream- Set Pieces
The Hobbit- Set Pieces
A Christmas Carol- Set Pieces and Props
Alice in Wonderland- Costumes, Set Pieces, Props and a Puppet
King Arthur- Set Pieces and Props
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe- Costumes, Head Pieces, Set Pieces
Peter Pan- Props
Pinocchio- Scenics, Puppet and Props
Hamilton Community House Theater:
Seussical- Set and Scenics
The Sound of Music- Scenics
For Kathleen Doyle Designs:
Little Big Eye- Puppets
The Magic Flute- Puppets
Polar Bear Puppet- Quanuk Nanuk for the Museum of Natural History, NYC and Street Performances
Sponsored by Friends of Jacob Edwards Library.
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