S
T A N T O N H U N T E R
W o r k S
t a t e m e n t
I
am most interested in the gesture of the natural as it finds its way
into interior man-made environments, as well as outdoors. This gesture,
when pointed out, often exposes a sense of the supernatural. I
manipulate materials, but mostly in an exploratory, accidental way consistent
with how primal forces would act upon materials. Changes in scale
are also intriguing to me and how that can create an immediate visceral
connection with the work.
One "gesture" I often single out is the phenomenon of cracking.
It is a beautiful gesture, evoking rivers/faults viewed from 30,000
feet, lightening streaks, the paths of tree limb growth. The old
Japanese Raku potters would often take a cracked vessel and stuff the
crack with gold leaf, making the work more precious than if it had been
perfect. I find cracks in cement even more intriguing than those
found in earth/clay because earth is supposed to crack, that’s part
of it’s nature. Cement is a manmade attempt at permanence, and
these cracks take on a much deeper vulnerability to me. So I clean
them out and mark them with bright colored sands, paints and metals.
More recent work has explored the inner private spaces and textures
of the crack itself by totally breaking open the material and exposing
the fissure.
Often I enjoy installing work subtly, where the gallery remains a gallery,
the hallway a hallway, the field a field, but suggests perhaps a different
time or place. Some of these works require the viewer to discover them,
so they are actually taking part in the creative process.
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