J. R. Kortman Center for Design / Kortman Gallery

    When you hear the term pottery, the first images that come to mind are earth-toned vessels of functional shapes and sizes. However, Rockford ceramic artist and professor Lynn Fischer-Carlson takes you to a different visual realm with her clay works. They are narrative sculptures, portraits in clay that generate individual personalities that are colorful, quirky, humorous, and can even be disturbing.
    Fischer-Carlson’s exhibition “Disguised: Portraits in Clay" opens Fall ArtScene, Friday & Saturday October 2nd and 3rd, in the Kortman Gallery.
    “The ceramic heads in this Kortman exhibit deal with my observations of absurd human behaviors, awkward experiences and complicated relationships,” says Fisher-Carlson. “Often poignant, maybe disturbing or disguised, and definitely with double meanings, these ceramic sculptures have become explorations about people and their odd ways. The human experience always guarantees a full spectrum of situations and interactions.”
    Fischer-Carlson’s heads are stylized, simplified forms. She hand builds these sculptures using coils of clay, pinching and compressing them together. She then adds bits of clay to provide facial expressions and other attributes, including texture and color, which adds another layer of emotion, energy or reaction.
    Fischer-Carlson is a professor in the art department at Rock Valley College. She has a BFA from Illinois State University and earned her Masters of Fine Arts from NIU, both degrees in ceramics with an emphasis in art history.  She started and designed the ceramic art program at RVC. Throughout her 16 years at RVC she has been able to bring many aspects of art and culture to our community through teaching ceramics, providing lectures to various community groups and as a working artist.
    The Kortman Gallery exhibit “Disguised: Portraits in Clay” by Lynn Fischer-Carlson will open in conjunction with Fall ArtScene, Friday October 2nd, 5 to 10pm and Saturday, October 3rd, 3p to 9pm. It will be on display through November 14th.    Kortman Gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street in Downtown Rockford. For more information call 815-968-0123 or visit www.jrkortman.com.

Not all squeezers are actually meant to squeeze. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the Juicy Salif, designed by Philippe Starck in 1990. It is considered an icon of industrial design that has been displayed in New York's Museum of Modern Art. It is manufactured by Italian kitchenware company Alessi. Its diameter is 14 cm, height 29 cm, and it is made from cast and polished aluminium. As the founder of the company Alberto Alessi recalls "I received a napkin from Starck, on it among some incomprehensible marks (tomato sauce, in all likelihood) there were some sketches. Sketches of squid. They started on the left, and as they worked their way over to the right, they took on the unmistakable shape of what was to become the juicy salif. While eating a dish of squid and squeezing a lemon over it, Starck drew on the napkin his famous lemon squeezer."

The 25th Anniversary limited edition Juicy Salif by Starck ( whick actually does function quite admirably as a juicer) is now available at J. R. Kortman Center for Design!

“Popstractions” featuring energetic and colorful works by Fatherless will open in the Kortman Gallery, First Friday, September 4th from 5:30 to 10pm. Fatherless is a collaborative print posse from Rockford whose work is currently on exhibit at the Rockford Art Museum in an exciting and successful show called “Printmaker’s Ball.”
    “Our works are the result of 5 individual artists working cohesively with each other’s artwork,” says Fatherless artist Javier Jimenez.  “Described as a visual mix-tape of ‘shenagination,’ we combine our cultural influences in ways that finished works are not only unique to our collaboration, but unique among the editions of hand-screened prints as well...we make certain no two prints are ever the same.”
    Started as venture between Corey Hagberg, Jarrod Hennis, Javier Jimenez, and Greg Lang in the Spring of 2010, Fatherless began to plan seasonal shows in which they created screen prints together – live, during the event. When the idea came about to feature a guest artist for a series, they chose a local artist and instructor of printmaking to work with, and it was a natural fit. Dave Menard of Rockford University became a full time member following that show.
    “When the Fatherless artists are together the gallery is ignited with visual and spirited excitement,” says Kortman gallerist Doc Slafkosky. “There accessible work is filled with creative enthusiasm and spontaneity.”
    The Kortman Gallery exhibit “Popstractions” is like a satellite version of the Rockford Art Museum show, Printmaker's Ball, which features 14 printmakers pushing the boundaries of the art world by exploring new methods of printing and expression, from portable presses to complex installations, often addressing social and political issues head-on – and always leaving their skilled mark. Both exhibits will be on display through September 27th.
    Kortman Gallery is located upstairs at J. R. Kortman Center for Design, 107 North Main Street, just seven blocks south of the Rockford Art Museum.

Starck gazing...Philippe Starck is probably one of the most influential designers of the past 35 years. He has designed furniture, functional housewares, hotel and restaurant interiors, eyeware, and even a few iconic buildings along the way. We have often said that most of contemporary design is a footnote to Starck's genius. "It is not enough to make things of beauty; they must be good," write Starck. "A good object not only does the job, but also contains humor and love. A good object renders its service with grace." Here are some of his fascinating elegant and functional designs available @ J. R. Kortman. The last photos are of chairs (NFS) used in the Kortman Gallery and Jerry Kortman's glasses (also, NFS) all designed by Starck...

A great night at J. R. Kortman Center for Design and Downtown coming your way this First Friday, August 7th! Meet up with friends at City Market and take a stroll over the beautiful Rock River to J.R. Kortman and shop 'til 9pm and then head up stairs to the Kortman Gallery and experience a cool music vibe from DJ's DAS and JohnRawFunk. Dennis Horton @ the Gallery Bar will be serving up a special beverage created for this First Friday night...surrounded by intriguing paintings by Rockford artist Johnathan Kuss. See you this First Friday Downtown and J.R. Kortman Center for Design!