Growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, Ron Dale was exposed to the annual exhibitions of the Southern Highlands Handicraft Guild. Watching a potter throw pots, transforming wet smooth clay into a shaped vessel was magic to Dale. This sparked his interest in ceramics, and he began his journey as an artist in the 1970s. Recollecting: 1980-2012, Works by Ron Dale showcases the Oxford artist’s works in ceramics and mixed media spanning over 20 years.
“My sculptural work has evolved out of the traditional vocabulary of the vessel. Combined with architectural and furniture imagery, I am able to explore concepts of altered space and perspective, light and shadow and the flattening of form while allowing for a more direct expression of ideas—ideas dealing with both social and personal issues. I view them as three-dimensional paintings—images, color and texture layered one on top of the other. I often use suggested “mirrors” to reflect space as a means
of enveloping the viewer, placing him/her in a particular environment.
In recent years I have used the frame as an integral element in these constructions,” Dale stated.
In conjunction with the exhibition, there was an artist’s lecture on September 17, 2013. The Museum’s Annual Membership Party, held October 10, 2013, celebrated and highlighted Ron Dale’s career in ceramics.
“The University Museum is extraordinarily pleased and proud to be the presenting venue for Recollecting 1980 – 2013,” said Museum Director Robert Saarnio. “With every passing day we watched in a state of growing awe as Ron has installed these intelligent, playful, and dramatic works. We encourage our entire community to help us celebrate the career of this leading figure in contemporary American ceramic arts.”
Dale obtained his B.A. at Goddard College and his M.F.A. at Louisiana State University. Before teaching at the University of Mississippi, Dale taught at the Penland School of Craft in Penland, North Carolina, and at the Cortona, Italy study abroad program with the University of Georgia. He joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 1980 and retired as Emeritus Professor of Art in 2005. Currently, Dale owns and runs Irondale Studio, which was built in 1995.
This exhibition will run until January 11, 2014.