Sinter

Elliott Templeton Fine Arts is delighted to present a solo exhibition of ceramics by Los Angeles and Wonder Valley-based artist Jonathan Cross. Cross’s stoneware works begin as thick slabs of clay that are carved into their striking angular forms. The objects are then wood-fired in his colossal handmade kiln for extended periods, requiring hours of attentive shifts for Cross and his assistants, all against the barren backdrop of the Wonder Valley desert. Each piece achieves its unique coloration and patina from a range of variables: the type of wood being fired, the kiln’s temperature, and the various materials such as salt and sand sprayed onto them. In certain cases, the ash from the wood lodges itself into their surfaces. The result of this process, derived from ancient Japanese ceramic practice, are objects of rich earth tones, their exterior marked with rock-like texture and softly blended hues. This exhibition features freestanding and wall sculptures, alongside a selection of vessels. They achieve a decidedly minimalist effect in their geometric austerity and brutalist materiality. But concurrently, the works evoke the primitivism of their ancient technique. In this way, they appear archaic and time-worn yet imbued with the life and spontaneity of the natural world.