Bradley Keys - Ceramics

Banff National Park Gallery of Fine Art and Photography


		Bradley Keys - As The Crow Flows
		May 20 - 26 “An amazing thing happens when you step into a river; you become instantly aware of where you are in the world. It is this moment, that first step into a river with fly rod in hand, from which I drew the inspiration for As The Crow Flows.” The Willock & Sax Gallery is pleased to showcase new fine art and functional ceramic works by Bradley Keys. Keys is the ceramic technician at the Alberta College of Art & Design, where he also teaches. He maintains an active pottery studio and has distinguished himself by developing a popular and whimsical line of ceramic work that explores and interprets the atmosphere of Alberta. In As The Crow Flows, he extends his interests as an avid fly fisher into his ceramic work. His work encompasses not only the landscape but also the waters and their creatures of Alberta’s mountains and prairies. Dates: May 20 – 26 Reception, Saturday, May 22, 2-5 pm, artist in attendance As The Crow Flows exhibition
		Artist Statement
		An amazing thing happens when you step into a river, you become instantly aware of where you are in the world. You look up stream and let your mind wander around the far bend and ponder where this endless flow of water originates. Then carefully you turn and follow the river to the horizon and can’t help but envision its meandering journey through the landscape to some distant sea. As you stand precariously on those slippery rocks you realize that through the river you are a part of the land and are connected to all the lives that the river will touch. It is this moment, that first step into a river with fly rod in hand, from which I drew the inspiration for “As the Crow Flows”. As an avid fly fisherman, you explore a river in a very personal and specific way in order to find the places that look like they will hold fish. You quietly and patiently look out over a river and begin to read the water looking for a prime seam or a nice pool. You listen to the rustle of the dry prairie grass at your feet and weave your way through the branches of trees and shrubs. Through necessity you develop a very close relationship with the rocks in a river and you realize that it is the rocks that hold all the information about the life in that river. When you turn a river rock over you are confronted with a teaming microcosm of life and it is through this small window that you can see what the trout will be dining on that day. If there is no life under a rock then there will be no trout. If there is no trout then there will be no osprey or otters or bears. Ultimately it is we ourselves that are undeniably connected to that rock, as the river brings life upon it so too does it bring life to us. Whether we are drawn to the water to cast a line, throw a stone, or simply to listen and contemplate, rivers are the ribbons that hold everything together. As you stand in a flowing river you are instantly bonded to the time and place and cannot help but realize the incredible power of moving water. It pushes, carves, transforms, and connects everything it flows through. 2010
		With his trademark touch of whimsy, Bradley examines the kindred intersections of nature, humans, and our connections to place.
		Born: Camrose, Alberta, 1968. Education: 1992-1994 Alberta College of Art and Design (BFA with Distinction). 1990-1992 Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. 1985-1989 University of Calgary, B.Sc. in Zoology. Solo Exhibitions: 2010, As The Crow Flows, Willock & Sax Gallery, Banff, Alberta 2008, iPot, Willock & Sax Gallery, Banff, Alberta 2005, Elevators of Alberta, Willock & Sax Gallery, Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta. 2001, Terra Sections, Willock and Sax Gallery, Waterton Lakes National Park Selected Exhibitions Group: 2010, Clay 2010, Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Alberta Craft Council Travelling Exhibition 2004, Clay Creates Culture, Alberta Potters' Association, VAAA Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta, Honourable Mention. 2003, Mugs and Jugs, Vessels of Libation, Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton 2002, Art vs Craft, The Great Debate, Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton Bradley Keys Pots, Generations Gallery, Stony Plain, AB 2000, Artwalk 2000, Eclectibles, Calgary, AB. Home on the Range, The Station Cultural Centre, Okotoks, AB. Cover Stories, Alberta Craft Council Gallery, Edmonton, AB. 1999 Vanishing Icons, Provincial Museum, Edmonton, AB, travelling Tea for the Taking, Alberta Craft Council Vault Gallery, Edmonton. 1998 Clay Invitational, West End Gallery, Victoria, B.C. Clay, Spirits from the Earth, Alberta Craft Council Vault Gallery, Edmonton. 1997 Artwalk 97, Provenance Gallery, Calgary. Quality Trademark Show, Alberta Craft Council, Edmonton 1996 Vessels in Celebration, APA 25th Anniversary Show, Glenbow Museum, Calgary, travelling. 1995 Treetop Art Walk, Invermere, B.C. Half Dozen of the Other, Marion Nichol Gallery, Invitational ACA Alumni show, Calgary. Made in Alberta, APA juried show, Karuna Gallery, Calgary. 1995 Earth Shines, Sunlife Plaza, Calgary. Birthday Show, Provenance Gallery, Calgary. FLUX, Ceramics Department Graduating Show, Art is Vital, Calgary. ACA Graduating Show, Alberta College of Art. Awards: 1994 The Board of Governor's Award, Nominee; Louise McKinney Post Secondary Scholarship, Nominee; 1993 Louise McKinney Post Secondary Scholarship for Academic Excellence; Culpepper and Mile-Hi Ceramics Prize; Dr. J. C. Sproule Memorial Scholarship; 1985 Alexander Rutherford Scholarship. Publications: 2010, "Clay 2010", Alberta Craft Council. 2005, “Making Marks”, Robin Hopper, KP Books “500 Cups”, Lark Publishing. 2004, “ Profiles, Alberta Craft, Culture in the Making," January 2000, “Contemporary Potters”, Rockport Publishing. 1999, “Where Magazine”, Rocky Mountain Edition, Summer 1999. “Albertans”, Alberta Report, Feb. 1, 1999. 1998, The Best Of Pottery 2, Rockport Publishing, U.S.A “Fete of Clay”, Legacy Magazine, Nov. to Jan. 1998. 1995, “Defining Design”, City Scope, March/April. 1993, “Throw and Altered”, Contact Magazine, by Bradley Keys, Autumn 1993, No.94. Conferences Attended: 2002, NCECA Conference, Kansas City, Mo. Aesthetics of Skill, Red Deer, Alberta 2001, 1000 Miles Apart, Alberta College of Art and Design, Calgary, AB. 1995, Calgary Ceramics Seminar, Calgary, Alberta. 1994, NCECA Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana. 1993, Calgary Ceramics Seminar, Alberta College of Art. NCECA Conference, San Diego, California Professional Organizations: 2000-2002 Member of the Board of Directors of the Alberta Craft Council. Bradley is represented in the Art Collection of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts as well as many private collections in Canada, the United States, Australia, England, and parts of Europe.
		"Terra Sigilatta is a very fine clay slip. Red and Black Greek pottery is the best known historical example of the use of this material....Terra Sigilatta's are applied to surfaces in thin layers using processes such as painting and spraying." Greg Payce. Vase to Vase Greg Payce. Lethbridge: Southern Alberta Art Gallery, 1995
		Bradley in his studio, 2008
		"Maybe when they're holding something, a mug or a little pot or something, to notice this couldn't have been made in a mold, it really can't be mass produced, which is kind of one of the things I try to go for." (Bradley Keys in "Ceramicist sees fundamental shifts in social interactions" by Dominique Carrier (Rocky Mountain Outlook, 28 August 2008).

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