Dark Forms: Tom Bartel 

Tom Bartel’s life has changed, and so has his work. He is at a re-defining moment after recently becoming a parent, which greatly opened his eyes to the passage of time. An artist hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Tom Bartel is currently Professor of Ceramics at Ohio University. Previously, his work was very colorful and patterned, as evidenced by one of his pieces that we proudly own in our Permanent Collection.  However, with his new exhibit - Dark Forms - he has set out to re-invent his work and push himself out of his comfort zone.  His pieces for this exhibit are devoid of color or pattern because, as he says, he was aiming to reduce his ideas to the essential. The only carry-over from his previous works are his depictions of human forms. What do these pieces say about the passage of time, and how we as humans aim to “live on” through objects? Come see for yourself in Dark Forms: Tom Bartel.

On view August 1, 2017 - October 29, 2017