Artists' Reception: Luke Huling and Keira Sunshine Norton

Exhibition dates: July 4th to July 27th
Artists’ Reception: July 26th, 5-10 p.m.
Gallery hours: 12-6 Thursday through Saturday

The month of July brings two powerhouse ceramicists to the Bunker Center for the Arts. Keira Sunshine Norton Of Kansas City and Luke Huling of Bloomington, Indiana are bringing the fruits of their labor to the East Crossroads. Both artists share a common bond from the University of Indiana MFA program and an uncommon talent for pairing representational forms with abstract concepts and emotion, resulting in an arresting gallery presentation. Viewing these pieces will elicit an emotional response from the viewer, no matter how jaded.

Luke Huling
Show title: “Disguise / Divulge”
Medium: Ceramic Sculpture

“I am interested in the way we as humans portray ourselves; the façade that is constructed to conceal our emotions and genuine thoughts. My work aims to grasp this feeling of suppression and detachment of emotions, and unmask these stressors, memories, or afflictions that we keep hidden from those around us. Through the pairing of objects, both abstract and representational, I lead my viewers to a “through the looking glass” approach of understanding this innate concealment of emotions. I strive to create a sense of initial uneasiness that can sometimes be interpreted as dark humor. However, it is the goal of the work to elicit a visceral reaction from the viewers, thus provoking a more introspective dialogue.”

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Keira Sunshine Norton
Show title: “More Flowers”
Medium: Ceramic Sculpture

” I create sculptures of human/animal hybrids that embody a blend of the tame and the wild. This duality is at the heart of what it means to be a human animal: wildness signifies an elemental freedom that can lead to chaos, while tameness can mean cultivation or overt control. My aim is to explore these values while having fun with form, color, expression, and the conflation of human and animal sexuality.

My most recent series combines snub-nosed monkeys with chrysanthemum flowers and human figures. These creatures were inspired by the tawdry Chinoiserie wallpaper in my bedroom. They evoke a strong element of childhood nostalgia for me, and also allude to the figures from Rococo decorative arts and painting in their gestures and expressions.

My earlier series is comprised of supple dolphins and whales hybridized with seductively posed human figures. This work reflects a range of influences, including South American folklore, Classic pin-up girls, Odalisque paintings, Baroque fountains, and Japanese rope bondage. Simultaneously beautiful and bestial, they are meant to provoke feelings of both pleasure and unease in the viewer.”