Ask James Kemp to sum up his year-long residency at the Port Moody Arts Centre and the ceramic sculptor will likely say - without flinching - that his work has improved "by 20,000 times."
"I have moved into a new domain or new approach to making art," said the Vancouver resident last week, who officially ends his tenure at PMAC next Tuesday.
Without having to worry about making the rent for a studio, the Emily Carr University visual arts grad said he has been given the freedom to use part of the St. John's Street facility basement to experiment as he likes.
And experiment he has, creating some thought-provoking pieces - i.e., attaching a found concrete chunk to the top of a ceramic sculpture (using a diamond drill and wooden stub to link together) - as well as developing a technique new to the local arts scene - i.e., slicing Styrofoam and shaping Cone 6 Stoneware clay around it.
Some of his results will be on show in a series called Morphology, in PMAC's 3D Gallery, starting tomorrow. His nine or 10 pieces to be displayed for the month will run alongside exhibits byoil painter Nicola Tibbetts (The Progress of Love) and photographer Erin Busswood (Family Album).
For many years, Kemp has had a passion for the arts; however, it wasn't until he was a psychology undergrad at Kwantlen Polytechnic University that he began to take ceramic and sculpture seriously.
About five years ago, Kemp joined the Fraser Valley Potters Guild, which in group shows bestowed him with a People's Choice and Best Amateur Ceramic Artist accolades. Later, he continued his training at community centres and worked with artists Liz Magor and David Robinson.
While a BFA student at Emily Carr, Kemp didn't shy away from odd materials: Driftwood, metal, nylon, found sheep skin and fur, porcelain, Plexiglas, pleather, steel couch springs, roofing nails and detergent bottles were employed in his pieces.
And, at PMAC, he continued to push the envelope, aiming to make ceramic a common material for contemporary sculptures rather than strictly for crafts. "My work," Kemp said, "is constantly on the edge - otherwise, I fall asleep at the wheel."
As for his next move, the White Rock native plans to show in solo and group exhibits this year in Montreal and at the Leo Koo Gallery in Vancouver.
An opening reception for the exhibits will take place at PMAC (2425 St. John's St.) on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m.
