Loose Leaf Notes

It was a well-attended opening reception for the complementary art of photographer Rob Amberg and ceramics artist Josh Copus (my son), exhibited at the Weizenblatt Gallery at Mars Hill University.

The long-time friends and collaborators both live in Marshall, Madison County, NC.  Rob has been taking pictures and writing about the changing county since he arrived in 1973. Josh, who moved to the the region from Floyd, VA, in 1998 to attend Warren Wilson College, has a place-based making philosophy, using wild clay and wood firing his work at his three-kiln compound in Madison County.

Josh, owner with his wife Emily of the Old Marshall Jail Hotel Bar says of his and Rob’s collaboration, “When I asked Rob for some of his photos to hang in the Old Marshall Jail, he suggested we trade for pottery lessons. We dug clay from his land and played in the clay studio together. It’s been an honor to share that time with Rob; to offer something to him in exchange to him for all that he has given me.” Rob exhibited an urn he made with Josh’s help for his mother-in-law’s remains, along with a striking photo of her as she was near-death.

Joe and I, always proud of Josh, were happy to make it for the occasion. This is one of my favorite new pieces that Josh made.

Rob’s exhibited work came primarily from his Madison County books, “Sodom Laurel Album,” “The New Road: I-26, and “The Footprints of Progress in Appalachia,” and “Little Worlds.” Pictured in front of Rob’s photo, Junior at High Rock Farm, are works from Josh’s Tasmanian Cliff Series, made with wild clay from Tasmania, Australia, and fired there during a potter residency. Australia is just one country that Josh’s work has taken him to.

It was almost impossible to get any good shots of Rob’s work because of the glare from the framed glass, but this piece, which appeared in The New Road: I26, really gave me a visceral reaction. It’s captioned, “J. D. Thomas Walking Away from His Burning Home Place, Sprinkle Creek, 1996.” I actually like the superimposed merging of time shown here. Soon after I took this shot, I realized the image affected me strongly because my childhood home was also taken by eminent domain and burnt to the ground to  make room for progress.

The invite read: Savory by Paul Gurewitz and Sweet by Camille Cogswell. I can’t deny that was part of the draw for us to make the trip and the spread didn’t disappoint.

Along with the inspiring art and the merged presentation of the works (on display till October 14), we met so many interesting people and enjoyed lots of spirited conversations.

I’m still smiling.