Most artists have a muse. Or, at least all I’ve read about cite other artists, living or dead, who have influenced their work. Not so with Karen Karnes.
The retrospective exhibit of her work in the Appleby Foundation Gallery through June 26 gives you a good indication that Karen Karnes was her own muse.
Megan Wolfe, a professor at UNCA who spoke during a recent Art Break, explained that the potter actually avoided looking at other potters’ work, at least with an eye to emulation, because she wanted to keep a clear vision of where her own work was headed.
A potter herself, Wolfe’s admiration of Karnes’ strong independence was obvious as she toured us during through the exhibit–from the early years of simple, hand-built works through the masterful functional pottery produced on Long Island and into the progressively more organic and sculptural shapes created in Vermont.
The one influence Karnes did allow herself to absorb was that of Japanese pottery traditions. Since recorded history, Japanese and Chinese potters have experimented with form, firing and glazes. And in those countries ceramics has historically been considered a high-art form, even more so than painting, said Wolfe.
Her appreciation of the work of another potter, in a different generation, went beyond the singular aesthetics of Karne’s life-long output. She credited Karnes with making her own way during a difficult time for independent female potters. (Shades of Eva Zeisel.)
Wolfe’s talk offered the insight of one artist looking at the work of another It was laid-back, conversational and refreshing. Art Breaks are a rich resource for those interested in art. Often the people who take their Friday lunch hours to hear about a specific artist, style or movement illustrated in a current show at AAM. bring their own insights to the art. Some have known the artists personally, others are practicing artists in the same mediums and still others have strong backgrounds in the subject matter.
So when you take an Art Break, you also learn from those who have joined you.
Nancy Long
