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The Studio Chair

Silk Road Construction

8/5/2016

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Picture
Silk Road Construction
ceramic, found objects (bicycle cart, reproduction Tang dynasty camel, sand)
approximately 9 feet tall
installed at Lanzhou City University


This is by far the most ambitious, and as I like to say the "dumbest" ceramic construction I've ever made. It's "dumb" in that it is a technical nightmare; there are a thousand ways this piece could have gone wrong and any one of them would have caused collapse. So you have to not think about that when your making it. I am really excited about the scale of this piece and how it turned out. The layered glazes are much richer than I hoped for!

The ceramic and sculpture assistants were a huge help in construction, firing, and installation of this piece, as well as Sam Hendley, my "roomie" in Lanzhou who helped me load the beast into the kiln (no small task!).  My thanks to all of them!
Pictured are Siu Hi Lin, Qi Zi, and Xie Zhe, not pictured are Zhao Yan and Sam Hendley)

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Badminton Garden (Mao Pao Tong)

8/3/2016

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Picture
Badminton Garden (Mao Pao Tong)
ceramic and found objects
installed at Lanzhou City University

​
This piece was inspired by the flower bud of the Mao Pao Tong Tree. When we arrived in Lanzhou the buds had just fallen from the trees and were scattered everywhere. They were quite lovely and delicate. 
With the aid of several students and faculty at the university we created over 200 ceramic Mao Pao Tong Buds and installed them in a full sized Badminton court recreated in the gallery. Badminton is a very popular sport in China and courts are ubiquitous. 
The installation is intended as a kind of meditation garden. As you move through the space you have to be very aware of your body and the ceramic flower buds. It raises questions about one's relationship to nature.
​An enormous thank you to all the people who helped me make this piece a reality. I couldn't have done it without their help! Here are a few of the people who helped, pictured below:
Qi Zi
Xie Zhe
Su Hi Lin
Su Yan Chi
"Lou"
"Ray"
Su Fian Ching

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More from Lanzhou: Monkey with Nimbus

8/1/2016

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Picture
Monkey with Nimbus
ceramic and found objects (doors, cable spool)
​approx. 9' tall
​

This piece is inspired in part by the magnificent work at the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and in part by all the images I saw of Julius, the Paul Frank Monkey. Julius is extremely popular in China, a symbol of the West which is also reminiscent of Sun WuKong, the monkey king.
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    the studio chair

    A place for me to ramble on when I need to take a break.

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About David  

David J. P. Hooker lives and works in the greater Chicago area, where he is an artist and Chair of the Art Department at Wheaton College. He received an M.F.A. in Ceramics from Kent State University and a B.A. in English from Furman University. 
 
His artistic practice explores the inherent value of materials, objects, and places, hoping to find ways to better connect and understand the world we live in. Recently he was awarded the Dunhuang Ceramic Residency and spent two months as artist in residence in Lanzhou, China. 
 
When David is not freaking out over deadlines, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Elaine, his children Abbey and Samuel, and the family cat, Evee. He also enjoys baseball, BBQ, and tennis—not necessarily in that order.

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Contact David

  • home
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  • About David
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