AVERY WELLS: Making Something Out of Something
Clay Art Center Gallery, June 22 - Aug 04, 2023
Avery Wells works mostly in clay, but also patchworks together a variety of techniques and media to explore feminine histories in the decorative arts. Inspired by the quilts and weavings made by the matriarchs in her family line, she pulls apart, warps, and repeats patterns to create an engaging interplay between surface and form. She wanders between pots and sculpture, seeking to treat each object she makes with joy and curiosity. Avery received her MFA from SUNY New Paltz and also holds BAs in Art History and Ceramics from UNC Asheville. As an Artist-in-Residence at Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY, she is eager to continue developing as an educator and artist.
Artist Statement
“At the core of my most recent work is a desire for unselfconscious joy. I come from a long line of southern matriarchs whose deftly made quilts, clothes, and other crafts speak to both necessity and overflowing creativity. Their work has been passed down through generations, continuing to comfort their families long after they have passed, and I am inspired by the sincerity present in each object, the exuberant combination of kitsch, tradition, and experimentation. Making Something Out of Something is a celebration of my family, and an exploration of my own role within that lineage and within the larger historic narrative of women working in the decorative arts.
Drawing from the quilts made by my grandmothers, as well as designs used in historic Appalachian quilting traditions, I created my own quilt block pattern out of terracotta. This pattern is repeated throughout the installation, shapeshifting through media and scale to become breeze blocks, a quilt hung on the wall, and collaged flowers. The work weaves together the domestic and the public spheres, refusing to be trapped in just one form or space. I imagine that through this iterative process of creation my patterns begin to develop their own agency and personality, orchestrating a release from repressive expectations placed upon traditional women’s work. I imagine myself in these patterns, slipping away from conventional feminine values of beauty and refinement. Through my work, I allow for vibrancy and imperfection, honoring the women before me who worked towards the same freedom in their own creative practices.”
Watch Avery introduce their Exhibition.
