- Ruins of Teotihuacan, Ruiz - Regina Anavy
Ceramics artists Catherine Merrill and Michael Ruiz are presently exhibiting works in clay and on paper in a collaborative show at the Main Gallery, 1018 Main Street, Redwood City, California 94063 (650) 701-1018. The exhibit, “Clayful Shapes and Bodies of Art,” features drawings, watercolors, vases, sculptures and tiles. It runs through April 24.
The gallery is located in a house that is listed on the city’s historic register, and a graceful garden of flowers and trees provides an oasis where patrons can relax. The gallery entrance immediately brings you into the main room, where Merrill’s sensual nudes in clay segue into Ruiz’ watercolors, which are resonant reminders of Mayan civilization. The second room completes the exhibit, with a progression of larger sculptures and wall hangings.
Ruiz’ Work Reflects His Heritage
Michael Ruiz majored in Art and Design at San Francisco State University, with a minor in Latin American history. He did graduate work at California College of Arts and Crafts and San Jose University, taught at City College in San Francisco for over 25 years and served for six years as Chairman of the Art Department. He was also president of the Latin American Educational Association.
Ruiz’ works are influenced by his background in design and his own heritage. Several pieces reflect his years of study of Latin America’s ancient cultures. They are “meant to reflect the religious conflict that still exists for the indigenous peoples of Mexico, Central and South America.” Ruiz favors sculpting in clay, feeling it is “the perfect medium to capture the beauty and sensuality of the human form.” He admits to a “fascination with the illusion of depth and volume on the flat surface,” which led him to sculpture as an additional medium. “I try to make everything beautiful, even when the message and meaning may not be,” he stated.
Merrill Stresses Collaboration in Art
Merrill is an ardent believer in what she calls “collaborative art.” As a founder of The Art of Fire, she promoted the concept of Multicultural Ceramics and traveled to Cuba, Canada and Argentina, where she established cultural exchange projects, workshops, residencies and community outreach programs. Working with local artists using local materials, Merrill experienced cross-cultural camaraderie and an inspirational synergy that artists find hard to come by in isolated studios.
Catherine Merrill has shown her work in over 150 national and international exhibitions, and has been featured in leading Ceramics publications. She graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute and has taught Figurative Ceramics at colleges and art centers throughout the United States and abroad.
Models Deserve Respect
Like Ruiz, Merrill is particularly inspired by working with live models. She believes that models are often ignored or belittled by artists, and she tries to “put them at ease” when they come to her studio, by engaging in conversation and offering them something to eat. In other words, treating them like human beings. “Models are sometimes not respected,” she says, repeating some of the shocking things that models have told her about the way they are perceived, such as the question, “How long have you been a sex worker”? “Live models are a part of the collaboration,” she adds. As a former dancer, Merrill appreciates the sensuality, strength and expressiveness of the human form.
In “Clayful Shapes” Merrill presents two contrasting bodies of art. “Lovers and the Natural World” contains bright colors and sensuous forms, combining the human body with elements of nature. “Darkness and Light” switches to a black-and-white palette, sometimes with touches of gold leaf, reflecting Merrill’s belief that life is a dance of opposites.
Two ceramic tile books, created during a residency in Hungary at the International Ceramic Studio, tell a “Sad Hungarian Love Story.” Catherine’s newest work, created expressly for Clayful Shapes, “Angel and Bat Girl Standing on the Memory Tree,” is a large-scale installation of two life-sized, winged female torsos. Merrill points out that the negative space between them is an important part of the work.
Closing Reception and Discussion
The artists will host a closing reception and talk at the Main Gallery on Saturday, April 23, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A discussion with the audience, guest artists and models will follow a 20-minute performance by Merrill and Lorraine Olson, “Inspired by the Muse: the Artist and Model.”
The artists' works are available for sale both in the gallery and in the gift shop.
