JOHN BECKELMAN
Small Vase, stoneware, 2004

John Beckelman graduated with an MFA in Ceramics from Illinois State University in 1978. His pieces have been exhibited nationally. He is currently Chair of the Art Department at Coe College.

John had this to say about his pieces: "These vessels are intended to evoke a sense of timelessness, stability and ease. Their forms and surfaces are inspired by early Neolithic storage vessels and their scale is an effort to induce a sense of quiet presence. Having worked with clay, in a variety of forms and formats and in all its varied physical states for close to thirty years now, I find that it's the elemental character and expressive potential of clay which continues to intrigue me. There is, indeed, an enduring, almost archetypal, appeal to clay, which is like no other material."

John Beckelman at the Gilded Pear Gallery