Mia Halton's Encounters

“For me, the encounter – being there- is the thing.”

On Saturday I visited the Creative Alliance to see Encounters, Baltimore artist Mia Halton's show of drawings, prints and sculpture. Much of the work was made during Halton's artist residency in Puebla, Mexico, an area known for its centuries old tradition of creating vibrantly colored pottery from its fine clay. Artists in Puebla still create in the “Talavera” style, and Halton worked side by side with the “artisanas” she met at the local pottery factory.

Mia Halton's Encounters, approx 15 long x 10 ft, high

Upon ascending the stairs to the second floor gallery, the first thing that struck me upon seeing the large, one room show were the drawings that Halton had made directly on the gallery walls. In Encounters, men, women and children float within the white space- some collected into tight groups, and others seemingly adrift, immersed in their own thoughts. Several figures within the groups look askance at people from different groups, their mouths open and eyebrows raised as if they are about to shout across a great expanse. A man and a woman from neighboring groups point directly at each other, suspended in what could be a heated argument. Playfully drawn in black paint upon an all white background, Halton has rendered her figures in an almost cartoon-like style. While the drawings may appear childlike, Halton's deft lines and engaging compositions are the mark of a confident draftsperson. Each of the simply drawn figures has the weight of an entirely unique personality; with a masterful eye for gesture, the artist is able to communicate the complexity and nuance of her characters in just a few strokes.

Detail, Encounters

Mounted on another wall are hundreds of small clay faces, which Halton has placed at intersections over a hand drawn map of the the Puebla area. In this piece, entitled Face to Face, the artist has etched faces on flat clay discs (approximately four inches long and three inches wide), in a comic style similar to her drawings. While her drawings exist only on a white background, here the artist has paid particular attention to the color of her clay faces, rendering them in various shades of brown, orange, pink, black and white. Halton has painted each of these faces individually, as if they could be representing a particular person she has met along her travels. Each wears a different expression- some seem enraged, others contemplative, some content. The artist does not specifically tell us the narrative behind each of these characters' expressions- the viewer is left to fill in the details for herself.

Face to Face, red earthenware with glaze

Rounding out the exhibition are several small sculptures, prints and drawings. One sculpture, entitled Whitening, is a grouping of six free-standing earthenware figures, each about 6 inches tall. The head and shoulders of each figure are covered with a white glaze. The rest of the body is unglazed, and shows the natural light orange hue of the Puebla clay. The figures do not interact with each other, and stand with their arms at their sides, eyes searching the horizon. Although they are standing together in a group, each figure seems in some way isolated, alone with their own thoughts.

Detail, Face to Face

Halton has rendered the figures in Whitening with such economy that the figures are just barely emerging from their blocks of clay. By emphasizing their substance, the artist seems to be suggesting that, at our most basic, we are all made of the the same earthy stuff. That each figure has been “whitened” from the top down however, suggests another, less tender meaning. The figures' bodies have been painted over- at least partially obscuring their “natural” or endemic color. It is in this way, before even considering the connotations of “whitening,” that the artist portrays the figures as people being acted upon. Halton seems to be asking us “What does it mean to be “whitened?” She has taken great care in detailing the varied skin tones of the clay faces in Face to Face. That all of the figures in Whitening have become one color suggests a universal or cultural phenomenon. Is Halton referencing a “white” culture, and its effects on the people of Puebla?

Whitening, Red Earthenware with Majolica, 6"x 4'x 2"  each

Another wall features Halton's smaller prints and drawings, such as Workin It Out, Four Encounters, and Did You Mean It? These pieces detail intimate moments in the labyrinth that is human interaction; they are spot-on snapshots of the awkward silence, the missed point, the misunderstood joke, the unheard complaint. In Workin It Out, two figures struggle to stay upright while occupying the same space on the ground. They hold each other in a tenuous “v” shape. In this piece, Halton gives us an icon for the demanding work of relationships- the ever shifting conditions, and quite literally the struggle to maintain balance.

Workin It Out, ink on paper 14 x 11"

Notably different than Halton's other pieces in the show is her black and white print Estoy Aqui, I Am Here. Here she has written “Estoy Aqui, I Am Here” several times in large, hand carved letters that run together. This piece feels more like the evidence of promise or ritual, almost like a blessing that would hang above a family fireplace. From the artist's statement we learn that this work speaks directly to the artist's intention during her residency in unfamiliar surroundings, where she was unable to communicate in Spanish. By committing to the work she shared with the artisanas, and by focusing on the commonality of their experiences, she was able to hurdle these obstacles toward meaningful interaction.

Did You Mean It? Ink on paper 14 x 11"

What I find really compelling about Halton's work is the sense of humor and optimism that she successfully portrays in her pieces. The viewer may recognize herself among these earnest characters, and smile at their self-absorbed foibles. However, Halton's work also portrays more serious issues: isolation, loneliness, frustration over not being heard or understood, rage against a another group of people, the insidious corruption of racism. Here Halton's humor has a deeper purpose: to offer a hopeful point of view, and to underscore the theme of the “Encounters” show. The theme that is, if one commits and perseveres through the difficulties and awkwardness that arise when people encounter differences in each other, the reward will be a deeper understanding of our common humanity.

Estay Aqui, I Am Here, relief print, 15" x 12"

In the first line of her artist statement, Halton writes “For me, the encounter – being there- is the thing.” Her show is the beautiful and poignant result of her dedication to this principle of “present-ness.” While it is easier said than done, Halton's work inspires me to not be so quick to “check out” - to be more mindful in my relationships, and in all of my new “encounters”

To see more of Mia Halton's work, check out her website here

Sculptors exploring the inside out- Sara E. Morales- Morgan, Kukuli Velarde , and Adrian Arleo

What if all of the emotional and intellectual transformations we experience in our inner lives manifested themselves physically? Unable to hide what is surging or dying inside, what would we look like to others, and how would we communicate differently than we do in our cloaked forms?

This week I have been exploring this idea by searching out ceramic sculptors whose work shows the “inside out.” With clay and glaze, they communicate powerful emotions and psychological transformations. Much like a poet may capture a moment, idea, and image in a single word, these artists capture the complex inner lives of their subjects in a single sculpture.

"Day after Day" by Sara E. Morales- Morgan, porcelain with underglaze and glaze

Sara E. Morales-Morgan makes diminutive porcelain figures of women that, at first glance, resemble the kitschy ceramic mantlepiece decorations that became very popular in America in the 1940's and 50's. These idealized visions of feminine grace and beauty, often wearing the full length skirts and corsets from European aristocracy in ages past, were sought after symbols of refinement and culture to the growing middle class. While the shapes of this artist's wistful porcelain women may cause you to recall your grandmother's Hummels, make no mistake; Morales-Morgan's ladies pack a powerful punch. In “Day After Day,” three dark haired female torsos share a single skirt. One figure slumps forward, the second stands upright, and the third figure leans backward. Painted upon the skirt are three views from the inside of a home: through a window we see a blue sky, fluffy white clouds and neat green lawn, another is the same view at dusk or dawn, the third, a moonlit night. The artist seems to be representing the passage of time through the perspective of one woman in three different states of being. The gestures of the figures correspond with the rising, shining, and setting of the sun. It is this particular woman's view that we are seeing from the inside of her house- a house which also is an embodiment of her. She is prettily dressed with bows and neatly coiffed; her expressions are dreamy, almost doll-like. Morales-Morgan seems to be asking us to see the idealized women represented in this tradition of porcelain figures in a new way- from the perspective of the woman herself. To imagine the life of such a woman, not as a lovely figure to be gazed upon, but as a person stuck in the same routine, “day after day,” - unable to see the world from another perspective, unwilling to show any other expression, save the slight smile that would be pleasing to anyone who might see her.

Detail, "Day after Day," by Sara E. Morales- Morgan

Where Morales- Morgan's figures draw upon a post-war European tradition of ceramics, Kukuli Velarde's forms take inspiration from pre-Colombian vessels. In her “ Isichapuitu” series, Velarde explores many versions of the same figure, a very round, female and somewhat corpulent body, based upon an Huastecan artist's sculpture made 2000 years ago. As she explains in her artist statement, Velarde uses the figures to express different aspects of her own experiences, and has even given the figures faces that resemble her own. By manipulating the bodies, and through her use of color and additional figurative elements, Velarde offers the viewer a wide variety of self-portraits. While her titles, such as“Grief,” “Hope” or “Pity” point to a universal concept, her sculptures are at once personal, specific and incredibly nuanced.

"Censura" by Kukuli Velarde, Clay

In Censura, (“censored”) many hands cover the figure's face and body. Two fists grip the figure's wrists, and several others partially cover the mouth, nose and eyes, making the face appear disfigured. Completely covered are the figure's breasts and genitalia. From the title of the piece, the viewer can infer that the hands here represent the forces of censorship- restricting movement, sexuality, sight, smell and taste. What I find really compelling about this work is that Velarde has rendered these censoring hands with the same color “flesh” as the figure itself. She also sculpted them in low relief – giving us the impression that they are either emerging from or submerging into the body. It is as if the hands of the censors have become part of the body being censored. This seems to suggest the insidious effects of censorship over time- that, through the abuser's careful and continuous restriction, the censored begin to censor themselves. And yet, this image can be interpreted another way: that, even with the internalization of this abuse, the figure has transformed the outsider's hands into a shape and color that is more natural to itself- perhaps in the way that a working palm develops a callous, or the way the body's defenses surround a tumor. The abusers cannot dominate the figure without being changed themselves. This image resonates with much of Velarde's other bodies of work, in which she presents the tension between the indigenous cultures of her native Peru and those who tried to colonize it.

"Eve, Honey Comb," clay, glaze, wax encaustic, 50 x 17 x 12″

Adrian Arleo's “Eve, Honey Comb” is a near life-sized clay, glaze and wax encaustic sculpture of the biblical “first mother.” Eve's entire body, including the small rock plynth she stands upon, are modeled as if they were made entirely of honeycomb. Her naked body is riddled with cells in varying states- some are open, others appear to be partially or completely closed with wax. Her face appears forlorn, she looks to the side. Her gesture and expression are somewhat ambiguous. Could she be about to reach for something? Or has something she once held in her hand been taken away? The pale yellow finish on the sculpture, and the naturalism in which Arleo modeled each and every cell, begs us to touch and perhaps even taste. Might we be tempted to break off a piece to eat? By forming Eve out of a honey comb, Arleo asks us to consider the ideas of motherhood, creation, temptation, innocence, and sin. As mothers, women are both home and sustenance to their children, like the hive is to the bee. Conversely, perhaps Arleo is asking us to consider the mother-like qualities of bees, who create new life constantly in a diverse array of plants by pollinating. Consider also how Eve is being transformed with the wax covering of the cells- what will happen to her when they are all full? When they are emptied? She appears to be stopped in mid-gesture- will she solidify? Her expression seems to convey that she is not in harmony with this arrangement. Could Arleo be commenting on the hardships of birthing and fostering life? Or, is this Eve, once human, returning to nature as it was before the fall, before the knowledge of evil destroyed her innocence?

While Arleo, Morales-Morgan and Velarde take inspiration from different traditions and vary greatly in their visual style, each successfully creates images that embody the complex workings of our inner worlds. This is the work of the artist: to show us the world from their unique perspective, but to also embrace the and honor the commonality of our human experience. I feel that I am enriched as a person from having seen each of these artists' works, and will continue to seek out art that informs my understanding of others and their perspectives.