A special exhibit of clay work by Chuck Hindes (1942-2021), nationally known ceramic artist will be featured at the POP- UP MUSEUM October 10, 11 and 17, 18, an event of Southwest Regional Museum of Art.
Hindes philosophy of working with clay expresses two influences: the Japanese aesthetic simplified by Westerners as "Happy Accident" sees beauty in the imperfect. Abstract Expressionism, an influence often associated with free painting, influenced Hindes expressive handling of clay as he hand built forms, mostly non-functional, that have a life of their own. The results of what happens in the kiln as clay is transformed by wood fire was one of the great satisfactions for Hindes in his process that viewers can see was thoughtfully accidental and amazingly contemplative.
"Hindes created hand-built pots with imperfect shapes and weathered, unglazed surfaces that gave people something to contemplate rather than worship. He used a special wood-firing process to expose the clay's true character as trapped oxides rose to the surface in beautiful, unpredictable hues. His pots became weathered celebrations of life rather than pursuits of perfection." (Excerpt from ARTe Magazine)
Chuck Hindes clay work is in many public and private collections and is part of the Smithsonian Museum of American Art collection in Washington, D.C. After 33 years of teaching at the University of Iowa, he retired and was the honored with the title, Professor Emeritus.
