Lost & Found

With Laura White Carpenter & Silver Hippopotamus

Lost hair swept from the floor, and lost feathers scattered under the backyard bird feeder, create the charred and carbonized marks found on Laura White Carpenter's hand-built organically-inspired vessels fired in the raku method. Mostly unglazed, these forms resemble bones, human figures, towers and spires, and emerge from the kiln ancient-appearing, a result of a firing process which requires extremely rapid temperature changes that would break apart traditional ceramic materials. This method requires the artist to relinquish control, as the red-hot vessels "grab" the offered hair and feathers placed within reach, pulling them against the surface with the resulting contact permanently marking the exterior.

Carpenter’s raku forms paired with Silver Hippopotamus’s industrial artifact designs are where Clay Wood & Steel meet for a stunning exhibition of ‘Lost & Found’ at Coastal Living Gallery in April.

Each artifact in Silver Hippopotamus’s collection speaks about The Industrial Revolution and the history of our country. Hand forged metals meet aged woods to create designs that evoke strength and passion. Freshly cut glass and reflective resins are added to propel each piece into the Modern Age. Silver Hippopotamus are two sisters, Beth Scanlon Melfi and Kathy Scanlon McGovern who have designed a one of a kind collection of Industrial/Modern Furniture & Artifacts.