JERRY RHODES
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Jerry Rhodes is a ceramic artist living in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His work has appeared in numerous juried shows and competitions. He was the winner of the United States Air Force Academy Amateur Arts and Crafts Competition for two consecutive years in 2002 and 2003. He currently exhibits in galleries in Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs Colorado, Santa Fe and Taos New Mexico, Hastings-on-Hudson New York, Charleston South Carolina, Georgetown District of Columbia, and Bethlehem Pennsylvania, and has many pieces in private collections internationally. Jerry has an Electrical Engineering degree from Penn State University, is a former Air Force officer, and currently serves as the Joint Staff Air and Missile Defense Liaison to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

“The firing process I use for my pottery is often described as Raku, but the motivation behind my use of this technique might be considered its philosophical opposite. Rather than seeking a harmonious balance or simplicity through my work, I try to achieve dynamic and imaginative results by challenging the boundaries of gravity, material science, chemistry, and sometimes, common sense. Often I will use traditional style glazes and classic post firing reduction techniques, but other times I'll use plant food, steel wool, and horsehair during the firing, and add African porcupine quills to complete a composition. The results are usually dramatic.”

“I also like to combine seemingly disparate elements drawn from a global, temporal, and cultural palate to form a composition. Some pieces may blend science with antiquity; Einstein’s equations for Special Relativity carved around the rim of a classic Greek form, for instance, while others may represent a cultural fusion; African and Polynesian tribal components combined into a loosely symbolic presentation. In the end, I’m not really trying to fully resolve the different elements that go into a piece, but rather, bring the composition to a point where it finds a temporary détente within itself.”

“Each piece I create is unique, each one represents a new and exciting learning experience, and every one is an adventure.”

E-Mail: rhodespottery@aol.com