ceramics

Sallie Portnoy is a prolific interdisciplinary artist working in glass, clay, metals, and mixed media. Her background in ceramics informs her work in glass, which has earned recognition and representation internationally in private and permanent collections. Portnoy studied ceramics at university of Manitoba and NSCAD in Canada and graduated from Cofa (BA ceramics) and SCA, Sydney University (MSAglass). Portnoy has had numerous solo exhibitions and exhibits regularly in outdoor public art shows. She has been the recipient of several major awards and public art commissions both in the private sector and by various community councils. She has taught workshops in Australia, Canada, Turkey, and in U.S. at Corning Museum of Glass, Urban Glass NY and Pilchuck, Seattle. She lives, works and teaches on the northern beaches of Sydney, from her Gspot Glass studio.

‘Girls on the Avenue’
These gals, engaged in conversation, express ideas of body language, well-being and connection. They have emerged from a time where we have just begun to heal from the recent drastic bushfires to then be isolated and distanced during COVID-19, when disconnection and isolation has escalated, yet many are also slowing and connecting with renewed intimacy.

The glaze treatment references the bush fires with its charred surface breaking into a green symbolic of regeneration and regrowth.

As ceramics has long used the human body as metaphor via terms like neck, shoulder, foot, lip, waist, and belly as such, the clay jug generates expressive language akin to body language. I am attempting to imbue these pieces with hope and connection, referencing the dialogue between artist and medium by allowing the clay to speak to me and influence form; as well as artist and viewer via organic sculptures that appeal to a shared emotion.

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