 |
LaGrange, Georgia |
|
|
|
Genna Grushovenko
~"To bring the enjoyment of art to daily life is one of my main goals. In a time when people are becoming more and more separated from one another and from nature, to use handmade pots in the home is to invite warmth into every day."
Biography Artist Statement Collaborative Paintings Pots
W h a t ' s N e w ?
'The Purdy Dozen'
Genna is currently working on a large commission for Kia America, our new neighbors in West Point, GA. He is making hundreds (currently 660 and counting) of copper wire wrapped vases that Kia will be presenting as gifts. I (Signe) have selected my favorite 12 to showcase here. While each piece follows the same general design and glazing scheme, slight variations in the process of hand throwing and glazing make each vase a unique work of art.
Click on each individual thumbnail for a closer view.
These images are samples of Genna's work and may not currently be available for purchase. Contact Genna at 706-957-5965 for availability.
Shown below are the 18 pieces that were featured at the Annex at the Touchstone Gallery in Washington DC in 2006, mouse over works for details on each piece. While these works are no longer available, commissions for similar pieces are possible.
Gennadiy Petrovich Grushovenko was born in the small city of Uman outside of Kiev, Ukraine in 1968. The son of a military musician, Genna traveled with his family from Germany to a small soviet island near Japan, settling finally in Kiev at the age of 7. After high school, he spent four years of compulsory military service playing trombone in the Soviet military band. When his service was completed, Genna began an apprenticeship with a master potter which eventually led to a partnership in Gonchary, a potter’s cooperative and one of the first privatized businesses after the fall of the Soviet Union. Genna came to the United States in 1997. He makes his home in LaGrange, Georgia, with his wife, painter Signe Grushovenko and is currently a partner and instructor at Artists in Residence gallery. Genna and Signe began collaborating on a line of paintings around 2004, which can be seen at www.galleryair.com/signe.htm.
To make pots is to participate in one of the purest forms of creation, making something of beauty out of literally almost nothing. To work with clay is a very visceral, chaotic process, which at the same time requires a high level of concentration and control. The dual primitive/sophisticated nature of ceramics appeals to me. While some of my work is purely sculptural, the majority is sculptural and functional. To bring the enjoyment of art to daily life is one of my main goals. In a time when people are becoming more and more separated from one another and from nature, to use handmade pots in the home is to invite warmth into every day. Although I enjoy all parts of the ceramic process, from the wedging and throwing of the clay to the final glazing and firing of the bisqued pieces, my favorite stage is the design stage. My love lies in the engineering of new forms. Production potting would have little appeal to me! For this reason, my vocabulary of shapes is constantly changing and truly each piece is unique. This constant pursuit of newness in my work is what has held my interest for the past dozen years and what will hopefully continue to hold it for the next several dozen.
|
|
Artists in Residence 300 South Greenwood Street, LaGrange GA 30240 (706)885-9900 phone and fax email admin@galleryair.com Hours of operation: Most weekdays 11am-3pm. To confirm hours or make an appointment, call (706)957-1516 |
