Sullivan Goss is proud to present a groundbreaking exhibition of ceramic sculpture by Patrick Hall and Lynda Weinman, a collaborative effort that has the potential to have a lasting effect on the world of contemporary ceramics. This collaboration was born at Clay Studio, a recently established 28,000 sq ft. state-of-the-art hub for ceramics arts in Goleta, California. As part of the gallery’s long-standing interest in highlighting the most exciting developments in the region’s art scene, we are extremely excited to bring this work to Sullivan Goss. Because while work is being made in our own backyard, the impact of these advancements on the ceramics tradition is certain to be felt much farther afield.
As the driving forces behind Clay Studio it is fitting that Hall and Weinman’s collaboration is the first of its kind to come out of the facility. Founded in 2012 by Hall, Clay Studio is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community art center committed to fostering exploration and innovation in the ceramic arts. Weinman joined the board in 2019, and helped secure the current studio and workshop space. Both artists share a kindred love of art, design, ceramics, and community spirit; but their history, practice, and aesthetic are remarkably distinct. Hall is a traditionally trained ceramics artist who received an MFA in ceramics from UCSB in 1984. Weinman was an early pioneer in computer and web graphics, and enjoyed a varied career as a college professor, author of numerous how-to books, and as an entrepreneur. In 2015, she dove head first into a ceramics practice, and shortly thereafter was pioneering the use of 3D printing technology to create computer generated designs. When Hall came to Weinman with a sketch of how they might meld their distinct visions, they ran with the idea. The results are unlike anything the world of ceramics has seen before.
Hall and Weinman spent much of the recent shutdown working on honing their respective crafts, and making this collaboration together. All profits from this show go to support Clay Studio’s mission to create an international destination for those passionate about ceramic arts.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
PATRICK HALL
“It’s been so fun to watch Lynda be so enthusiastic about clay printing and become expert at all the different parts and pieces of it. I feel lucky that I got to witness her evolution as a 3D clay artist, and it’s been so fulfilling to combine her work with mine. I was never drawn to making things on the computer, as I love making my work in the traditions I’ve honed for over 50 years. Combining hers with mine has given me the best of both worlds, and we are both so gratified by the results.” - Patrick Hall
Patrick began working in clay at age 14, fell in love with the process and soon got an after school job at a pottery studio where he perfected his technical skills as a production potter for the next five years. Hall earned a B.A. in Studio Art / Ceramics in 1982, and then his MFA at UCSB in 1984. In 1986 he established Design Associates in Santa Barbara, a design/build firm specializing in architecture, interiors, furniture design, custom millwork and building contracting. After 28 years of running a successful design build practice, upon retiring he returned to his first love of clay. In 2013, he established a non-profit community ceramics center called Clay Studio in Goleta California, where he serves as Executive Director. Hall’s distinctive ceramic works are widely collected, and are sold nationally and abroad. Clay Studio moved to a 28,000 square foot facility in 2020, where Patrick and team offer studio space, classes and workshops.
LYNDA WEINMAN
“Our collaboration elevated both of our practices in unexpected and exhilarating ways. I am in awe of Patrick’s skill and rich experience in ceramics, and I love how the 3D printed forms interact with the traditional methods to create something yet unseen by either of us. It’s been a joy and an honor to play a part in bringing this beautiful work to life.” - Lynda Weinman
Lynda Weinman was an early pioneer in computer and web graphics, starting in the early 1980s, and enjoyed a varied career as a college professor, author of numerous how-to books, and as an entrepreneur. She and her husband co-founded lynda.com in 1995, one of the first online educational resources that taught digital tools and skills. After selling the company to LinkedIn in 2015, Weinman chose to pursue a ceramics practice, which led her to collaborate with Patrick Hall on a community ceramics space in Goleta, called Clay Studio. Right before the start of the pandemic in 2020, she discovered 3D clay printing. With the shut down, she was able to give her full focus to this new passion, and has been creating non-stop for the last year. She uses 2D tools such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and 3D tools such as Rhino 3D, Grasshopper, and Potterware in conjunction with a 3D clay printer called a Potterbot. Lynda now sleeps, breathes and dreams in geometric and parametric forms. She has a blog at www.claybottress.com and a YouTube channel that chronicles her journey as an artist and a maker.
Kindred Spirits, on view at Sullivan Goss through May 24, is a sculptural garden of earthly delights celebrating the collaborative ceramics made by Patrick Hall and Lynda Weinman. Each piece marries one of Hall’s elegant and symmetrical bases to a top section created by Weinman using computer-aided 3D modeling. While Hall’s vessels follow the venerable ceramic art tradition of vases and bowls, Weinman’s quirky contributions put a different spin on the idea, reimagining vessels that resemble the anatomical tubes that carry blood, or perhaps cephalopod tentacles, or even the stems of exotic plants.
With her distinctive eyeglasses, Lynda Weinman has been a recognizable icon for two decades. It began with the brand identity for Lynda.com, the online subscription-based computer teaching platform she started with her husband, Bruce Heavin. The corporate logo, a black-and-white cameo portrait of Weinman sporting her signature specs, perfectly captured her trademark style. “My glasses are a symbol, I realize,” she says. “It’s your vision, it’s how you see the world, it’s your perspective.”
A NEW KIND OF WHEEL TURNS THE CLAY OF THESE ARTISTS, challenging the galaxy with the melding of new and ancient arts, as the parched earth opens its arms to Patrick Hall & Lynda Weinman: Kindred Spirits and Maria Rendón: Rain, two new exhibitions recently opened at Sullivan Goss - An American Gallery.
