Julia Galloway: Quiescent

Currently The Clay Studio is hosting an exhibition by Julia Galloway, one of my favorite ceramic artists.

Galloways newest body of work titled Quiescent has been installed on 400+ shelves in the gallery. Each shelf holds a tumbler. Galloway has used the tumblers as canvas for her drawings. Each surface displays an image of a bird represented in James Audoubons: Birds of North America



There is also an audio component to this show. Some of the shelves contain sound modules and motion detectors. As you pass by, a bird begins to chirp or
warble. The space becomes activated and alive, as if filled with the real live birds represented by the imagery.






First Friday in Old City is a mess of people wandering in and out of the galleries. The room was wildly loud and the bird calls were almost drowned out even though all the sounds were being activated at once.











Galloway covered the walls of the gallery with a chalk drawing that reminds me of a garden fence. This image is echoed in the glaze patterning on her pitchers.







The most powerful moments seem to come when the gallery is empty save for one person slowly walking around the room, connecting with each sound as it begins and ends.