About
Karl McDade
Artist Statement
I spend equal amounts of effort and time on my sculptures, drawings, and functional pots. All of them are fed by my reverence for the history of ceramics and its many processes and techniques. Recently I have begun experimenting with image transfer techniques. With this work I am combining the bold geometric forms of classical Greek pottery with contemporary imagery. I work in a decidedly intuitive and quick manner to create forms and surfaces that are rich in imperfection and depth in an attempt to create a patina that records the many layers of construction.
Born in 1971, in Portland, Oregon, Karl received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Southern Oregon State College in 1993 and completed his MFA at Montana State University in 1997. Between 1997 and 2000, Karl worked as the studio technician and a part-time instructor at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 2000, Diablo Valley College (Pleasant Hill, California) hired Karl as a full time ceramics instructor. Karl earned tenure in 2004, and continues to teach at DVC while maintaining a studio in Berkeley.
CV