Church works primarily in ceramics, but has also included wood, metal, and drawings/paintings. Within ceramics Church has two very distinct styles of working. He is always inspired by nature, migration, and the intricate web of life that connects every living organism to another. He expresses this relationship through his ceramic sculptures, such as "Elk" (the third photo below). Other sculptures include animals or elements of nature morphing into each other. [Unfortunately his website doesn't allow image downloading, so check them OUT!]
The second style that Church implements is more unique when considering the material he works with (clay- often personally gathered). He has found a niche for himself creating large scale replicas of animals on wooden sculptural skeletons. The clay is never fired, but pressed on the skeleton by himself and even gallery viewers. In this sense it is a performance piece that is then left to dry, crack, and even crumble. He has installed his "Grey Whale" at several locations and has a permanent installation in a boiler room in an abandoned factory (images below).
I'm very excited to be experiencing a new media in such depth next semester with a teacher who seems to have a lot of the same influences and ideas I do.
"I believe in the natural cycles of the earth. Within these patterns of life and death is where I can find truth. While cities grow, wars rage, and industry climbs, nature's heart continues to pound. Migratory paths remain, rivers continue to run downstream, wolves hunt, and insects are hatched. My artwork is an attempt to create a meaningful connection between the natural world and myself. Often this connection seems fleeting. It is based on observation and the physical act of working with material such as clay and wood. This physical relationship also allows me to explore my spiritual, emotional and psychological concerns for the human experience."
-Shay Church
http://shaychurch.com/index.php
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