The Clay Studio offices, galleries, open studio, and school will be closed on Friday, July 4, 2025, in honor of the Independence Day Holiday.
Richard Nickel
Comedy & Tragedy
Often art is seen as an introverted, solitary experience involving serious thought and
messages. Frequently overlooked are the examples of the lighter side of human existence
– comedy. Art, like life, is a balance between comedy and tragedy. Shakespeare’s
darkest plays were balanced with keen wit and humor. My intent in much of my artwork
is to reveal the purpose of humor in art and to show that in art comedy and tragedy are
dependent on each other for a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Ceramic artists can draw from a rich history of figurative art. Examples of humor can be
found in naïve art like Indian Mimbres pottery, Carolina “face jugs”, and “outsider” folk
art. Although the art’s original intent may or may not have been humor, a contemporary
perspective can often find comedic value. More contemporary examples by artists like
George Ohr, Marcel Duchamp and Robert Arneson have also influenced my work. These
artists looked at the world of contemporary art from the sidelines; never being fully
accepted. They built a reputation on thumbing their noses at “the system” and create
artwork that often used absurdity to get the point across. It is only now that these
outsiders have become pillars of our art schools.
Magic Dirt
I like to call clay “Magic Dirt”. People don't know why clay works the way it does; it is
not dirt yet it has all the minerals as any dirt or soil. Dirt is so common; to find it magical
is like finding air magical. Yet it is, but we forget about it.
What is not taken or returned to this earth? Everything we have and exist with is the
earth in one form or another. We as humans transform this Magic Dirt to cars, cans,
planes, oil etc. We are the most Magic Dirt of all. We were formed and exist from this
earth and return once more. That is the true magic. How did this happen? We model our
behavior over this fact.
The earth is my media. Add fire and it becomes frozen in time. Magic Dirt!
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your purchase supports the operations of The Clay Studio, a nonprofit that serves 35,000 people,
including 2,000 underserved school children, each year.
