Bryan Czibesz & Shawn Spangler: Object Index

The Belger Crane Yard Studios Gallery presents Bryan Czibesz & Shawn Spangler: Object Index, opening Friday, February 5, 6 pm – 9 pm at 2011 Tracy Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64108.  The exhibition will remain on view through May 8, 2021.

Object Index is a collaborative exhibition that investigates how culture and technology are implicitly tied through the production of ceramic objects. Using hand-forming processes and digital reproduction technologies, Bryan Czibesz and Shawn Spangler recreate historical forms in a contemporary context.

Drawing inspiration from historical objects, Czibesz and Spangler use clay extrusion 3D printers (designed specifically for this body of work) and the potter’s wheel.  Czibesz has done most of the digital and 3D printing work, examining the disconnect between hand and material via computerized construction methods.  Spangler has done most of the wheel throwing, bringing a focus to the maker’s direct touch. Both have a hand in the creation of each work.

The work in Object Index highlights the junction of digital and hand-thrown processes.  It also emphasizes the alliance that exists between computers and humanity, in an increasingly familiar concept that highlights digital dependencies.