2019 2019: Rebecca Hutchinson Fall 2019 Exhibitions

CVPA Ceramics Professor is exhibiting at the Duane Reed Gallery in St. Louis and the Daum Museum of Art.

Navigating Borders - Duane Reed Gallery

September 6- October 12, 2019
Opening September 13th
St. Louis, MO

Rebecca Hutchinson's work examines the diverse states of existence found in nature: the structure of nature, interactions between forces of nature, the resilience, and the complexity of engineering in nature. Her work focuses on the process of making from beginning to completion.

Rebecca's fibrous sculptural works are made from harvested materials, such as recycled 100% natural fiber used clothing and harvested garden materials or industrial castoff surplus materials. These materials are beat down to pulp and formed into handmade sheets of paper that are used to construct with or mixed with clay into a slurry to use for handbuilding. This process of upcycling encourages the discussion of sustainability which is becoming more prevalent in today's castoff consumerist society.

Rebecca's unique approach to navigating harmonious relationships between materials and distinct spaces is shown in "Navigating Borders." Please join us at Duane Reed's Gallery in St. Louis, MO for the Opening Reception on September 13th.

Tranquil Bloom Sedalia - Daum Museum Installation

September 21- December 15, 2019
Sedalia, MO

In conjunction with the exhibition Particle & Wave: PaperClay Illuminated, Rebecca Hutchinson (whose work is included in that show) will construct a site-specific installation in the Daum Museum’s Scott Gallery.

Hutchinson’s sculptural assemblages are influenced by ecosystem dynamics and environmental concerns. Although her installations do not replicate nature, they reference the nesting and colonization of insects and birds, the search for space by plants, and massed floral motifs found on antique textiles. Hutchinson uses paperclay made from up-cycled materials (used clothing, paper, burlap) and employs a variety of techniques, including hand building, slip trailing, dipping, layering, and cutting. Her individual paperclay components are placed on armatures woven mostly of natural materials, like willow, and might hang on the wall, depend from the ceiling, or accumulate on the floor. The forms are built with both fired and non-fired clay elements. Hutchinson’s work bridges the disciplines of sculpture and ceramics and offers a fresh look at possibilities within each field.

Rebecca Hutchinson has employed paperclay as part of her ceramics practice for over 20 years. She is a professor of ceramics at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, exhibits nationally and internationally, and has received numerous residencies, commissions, and awards.