About the Artist
Dave Flach, Ceramic Artist
Artist Quote
There is a moment when the artist and beholder come to agree over what is real; what is beautiful; what is worth feeling—it is in that moment of connection where the true meaning of art comes to light.
Artist Statement
Through my art I celebrate the paradoxes in life: that there is blessing in sadness; comfort in pain; beauty in neglect; that great feeling can be derived from the inanimate; that sweet softness lies within hardness; that all of these things can be known, felt and shared—as long as there is Love. So I guess my art is intended to explore the many different ways we love and to remind us all that there is always Love—always—even when it isn’t covered in chocolate or wrapped in red velvet. I hope you enjoy my work. Even more, I hope you appreciate the many ways you Love.
Technique
I work with multiple clay bodies ranging in color from whites to reds to browns & buffs and in texture ranging from smooth to gritty clay bodies. Sometimes I’ll add colorant directly to the clay body to achieve the right effect.
I’m a big fan of natural texture and I make many of my own press molds and stamps by pressing raw clay into the sides of trees, into gravel walkways or even shell beds—whatever presents tactile beauty. I’ve also fabricated many of my own tools from raw materials or from other tools that were never intended to be used in a ceramics studio.
From the very beginning of a new piece and until the final fired product, I add color. By staining and underglazing greenware, applying glaze to bisqueware by brush, spray, airbrush, sponge or some other unconventional method, color is infused into every step of my sculpting process. I frequently hand mix single-batch colors, making every piece unique. My work is fired twice in our electric kiln, first to 1940° for the bisque firing then to 2232° for the final glaze firing.
Because I am emulating natural texture, the application process is highly varied from piece to piece—and even within each body of work, making every piece truly one-of-a-kind.
Background
My passion for ceramic art bloomed when my wife Deborah, also a ceramic artist (and I was NOT an artist at that time), asked me to buy her a kiln. It was during that exploration that I recognized the wonderful culmination of chemistry, physics, design, engineering, and tactile skills that is ceramic art.
My career in printing kept me in very close contact with other artists, graphic designers, typographers, and advertising agencies which is where I developed my sense of style. As a passionate cyclist I also worked several years in bicycle shops where I developed skills in tool using and other technical ability and I am confident that skill transferred into ceramics, making “making” a natural fit. I was a fast learner in pottery class.
My formal training came from attending ceramics courses at Chastain Art Center, Spruill Center for the Arts and Abernathy Art Center, all in Atlanta GA. Still, much my skill was refined through self-development in my wife Deborah’s studio. On the second day of my first ceramic arts course, my instructor told me “Don’t try to make a teapot; they’re too complicated for you right now”. I felt challenged, and “put into place,” so I immediately went home and made four—and sold two. Over the years I have been a constant student, experimenting and learning new technique and form, folding in life experience into each new series.
For nearly two decades I have been a student of personal development. It is through these experiences that I realized just how much more meaningful life is when we share experiences—good and bad; when we go deep; find the beauty in imperfection; and slow down to truly notice and appreciate what is around us. Almost as soon as I learned how to join two pieces of clay, I elevated my work from making what would solely give pleasure to the senses, to creating “emotional triggers”—work intended to explore that which lies deep within our soul. Ceramic art became the vehicle that allowed me to share my perspective of the human experience (much of it my own experience) with the beholder.
Deb and I have lived in Sarasota Florida since 2017. Being “outdoorsy types”, we really enjoy the year-round warm weather. When I’m not in the studio, I enjoy running, cycling, hiking, travel, viewing art, birding, spending good times in great relationships, and guiding nature tours for children. And yes, I still share home-studio space—and the same kiln I bought those years ago—with the love of my life Deborah.
