Artist Spotlight
David Camden
After receiving
his degree in ceramics from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont in 1978,
David Camden opened Camden Clayworks in Ashland, Virginia. In addition to
apprenticing many students in his studio over the years, he has also taught
pottery in the Richmond area, primarily at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond
and has been involved in the many Artist in Residence programs at the local
schools. He has been included in as many as fifty shows in the Virginia area
and his works is in numerous private collections.
"Be the change you want to see in the world..." Mahatma Ghandi
My pieces are a representation of free form and organic contours. I work to create functional vessels as well as statement pieces. I use recycled materials and environmentally friendly glazes. Much of what I create is influenced by my family and over 40 years of teaching. I've been teaching since 1978 in Richmond, VA for the Hand Work Shop, now referred to as the Visual Arts Center. I've shown my artwork for the last 30 years in New York, Chicago, and all over the country. I have sold wholesale, retail and given numerous workshops around the state of Virginia. I've won several best in show awards, including 2013's Occasion for the Arts.
The concrete, repetitive nature of Raku, frees my imagination and provides many opportunities for happy accidents. While Stoneware and Porcelain pieces require more attention and discipline. More often than not many of my pieces are unintentional and I let the art speak to its viewers. Art can not be explained, nor can the emotions evoked by certain pieces. I encourage my students on a regular basis just to feel and create. Feel and create. Art for me comes from within and therefore stands out in my pieces. My pieces can be wild and my work can be representational, but generally my art is unknown. I want my art to be for the public. What they see is exactly what they are suppose to see.
Crazy about Camden's Ceramics? Check out more of his work at galleryflux.com!
