Professor Randy Carlson Receives Award in Virtual Art Show

02/21/2012 9:24 AM

By Brigitte Graf ’13

Art professor Randy Carlson received a Juror’s Special Recognition Award Honorable Mention for his submission in the virtual art show Vasefinder International 2012. His was the only piece to earn this distinction.

“It’s nice to have someone recognize your work,” Carlson said of John Glick, juror for the show. 

“Even if it’s not a first or a second prize, it’s neat to have someone with such experience say, ‘Well, that one’s pretty cool.”  Glick is a bona fide figure in the field. An internationally recognized potter from Michigan, Glick’s work has been featured at galleries, museums and exhibitions throughout the country.  He founded Plum Tree Pottery in 1965.

Carlson’s submission stood out among 126 other pieces. The piece entitled, “Vase for Three,” consists of a stoneware body with a copper glaze and a titanium dioxide overspray.  Its horizontal orientation set his piece apart from the others.  In the artist statement, Carlson describes the vase as “meant to have a low profile, be sculpturally interesting and allow for the blossoms to rest directly on each opening.”

“In terms of making the form just a little bit distinct, I like to be a little more playful and look for a unique posture,” Carlson said. “I still feel that I have traditional elements in my work, but in this piece I was looking for something a little more unusual.”

The show drew submissions from artists from New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and the U.S. Images of their pieces are exhibited online at http://vasefinder.com/vi.2012.home.html

Carlson believes virtual art shows are a new trend that is catching on. “It is a wave of things to come.”