Most of us coffee and tea lovers own that one special cup that makes our first sip on a quiet morning absolutely satisfying. Meet Naomi Peterson, the Alliance Art Gallery’s December guest artist, who invites us into her deep connection between environment, history, culture, and beauty through her ceramic cups.
“I am drawn to nostalgic imagery,” she admits. “ As a child growing up in Quincy, Illinois, her world revolved around humidity, cicadas, bluegill fish, dogwood blossoms, and ginko leaves. Today, she lives in Laramie, Wyoming in a dry desert-like environment with trout, sagebrush and cacti.
She explains, “ As we go through life many factors influence us. We are imprinted by internal and external influences that shape and change us. I am interested in the interactions between people and their environment—how we react and how that relationship has a hand in shaping our perception, personality, and culture.”
Indeed, her ceramic cups invite the holder to intimately reflect upon how we view our world and change. "I've looked at the wildlife from Illinois and Wyoming, and thought about how those differences make an impact on people" ,she explains.
She adds, “We look back on childhood and remember things that surrounded us that we never really noticed, only to miss them when we move or travel.” In her case, she keenly feels the environmental influences on her life, internal and external, as she transitioned from a John Woods Associate Degree in green, tree-lined Illinois to the brown and gold mountainous landscape she experienced while working for a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Wyoming.
In addition to a geographical transition, in order to graduate she had to diversify from her preferred medium, painting. She chose ceramics and never looked back. “My aim is to integrate painting and drawing more with ceramics. I love the melding of different medias. It gives more personality to the piece.”
True. Just as a symphony needs silence (negative space) between notes, Peterson’s ceramic cups offer a quiet stillness. The image—whether influenced by Illinois or Wyoming—allows us to hold in our hands a craft, an art, that began centuries before us and will continue centuries after us. A cup, filled with beauty and drink, gently coaxes us into our day. True. Just as a symphony needs silence (negative space) between notes, Peterson’s ceramic cups offer a quiet stillness. The image—whether influenced by Illinois or Wyoming—allows us to hold in our hands a craft, an art, that began centuries before us and will continue centuries after us. A cup, filled with beauty and drink, gently coaxes us into our day.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, December 9 from 5 until 8:00. This coincides with Historic Downtown Hannibal's Living Windows.
