atmospheric river
Exploring motifs of water, fragility, and changing landscapes through vessels and wall art, Stein considers the ceramic process a metaphor for geologic and climate change. She uses the kiln to simulate geologic transformation including cracking, melting, flow and fluxing. Mapping themes of climate and place through experimental design, fire, and flux studies, Stein explores the wonder of ceramic material, the love of being near water, and laments the negative impacts of the Anthropocene Epoch. By leveraging the inherent fragility of ceramics, a theme emerges that contemplates the sublime, being and loss within the context of climate change in Northern California.
A ceramic and glaze interpretation of the historic atmospheric river that affected the west coast in January 2023.
This image was reworked from an image acquired on January 4, 2023, at 1:20 p.m. Pacific Standard Time by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite. Reworked in Photoshop by University of Cincinnati intern Lam Do, the image was split into two color channels in order to be translated into ceramic material. 100 terracotta tiles were handmade by Rose Gitlin and manipulated and glazed by Kala Stein. Two glazes were swirled together in ½ cup batches to create the color and line quality. The glaze was then poured onto the tile for a generous and spontaneous application, guided by the hand-drawn lines that charted the image. The tiles were then fired to cone 5/2200°F in an electric kiln, leveraging the high heat to distort the image and create psychedelic glaze effects. The blue glaze in this piece is 100% studio waste glaze collected during 2022 as a closed-loop sustainability experiment.
The undulating surface of the tile and grid formation references a well-used navigation map and brings the individual into the piece as a player in the climate crisis. It is an investigation facing the tragedy of the Anthropocene Epoch and marks a moment in time, a collective experience, of severe historic weather.
Each tile is 17” x 7.75”, total dimensions: 144” wide x 72” tall
April 14-May 7, 2023, The Alley Gallery, Sonoma, CA
Click here to view the text for the catalog (the full catalog is currently underway).
