Ceramicists in Montana’s Capital Are Pushing Local Artistry Beyond “Western” Clichés

“While initially focused on pottery and vessel forms, Kelsie Rudolph’s interest in construction led her to create large-scale ceramic furniture. She explores the connection between art and design in each unique piece.”

“Cracked eggshells spring to mind (in a good way!) upon seeing these pieces. They’re part of a collaborative project between designer Kelsie Rudolph and artist Chase Travaille — aptly named Chelsie’s — which marries her furniture designs with his porcelain shards. Lamp bases and tables are covered in the irregular fragments that create patterns and mis-shape their typical  forms. The lights are paired with similarly pieced-together shades, with embossed ridges along the joins to highlight their assembled nature.”

“What distinguishes all of Rudolph’s work is its mindfulness to the actual human body that will interact with it and, as we found out while talking, the way it embodies her attentiveness to mind.”

“For thousands of years people have made ceramic furniture, from simple stools to elaborate temple thrones. After hundreds and hundreds of years of evolution, we’ve taken a dip into a trend of blobby, garishly colored ugly clay furniture.”

“Softened is the latest collection from the ceramicist Kelsie Rudolph, who makes hand-built, furniture-scale objects from her studio in off-the-beaten-path Helena, Montana. Her goal with the collection was to take a hard material (clay) and make it feel as soft as possible, through bulbous forms, gentle color gradients, and textured, imperfect surfaces.”

“Ceramic artist Kelsie Rudolph glazes her adventurous creations in color combinations that just about make her skin crawl. She does this to better grasp color’s effect on us.”

“ ‘The Blue Room’ exhibition, washed in the cool colour from ceiling to floor, is housed in a unique skylight room that adds another dimension to an already layered and diversely populated showcase. Some of the artists whose debut works are on display at the gallery include French-Israeli lighting artist Yonathan Moore, ceramic artist Kelsie Rudolph, fine art photographer Abi Polinsky, and interior designer Brandi Howe.”

“A weekly recap to share with you our favorite links, discoveries, exhibitions, and more from the past seven days. This week: an entirely blue exhibition, an absolutely wild daybed, and a strong contender for bathroom vanity of the year.”