Christopher St. John delivers an environmental statement in The Liminal, an exhibition of wood and soda-fired ceramic sculptures and vessels, accompanied by drawings made of the soot and wood-ash from firing the ceramic works. This exhibition, filled with heart, soul, and yearning, addresses the frailty of life, particularly wildlife, and the consequences of the ever-shrinking boundary between human civilization and nature.

A long time Oregonian, St. John is temporarily living in Ohio to pursue a graduate degree in ceramics. There he has been disturbed by the astounding number of animals he has observed killed on the roads by vehicles. Recently he began to create artwork in response. He considers each of these works to be a prayer to the loss of animal life. “We live in a time of increased contact with our natural world,” he states. “By giving testimony in a small way, I hope this work can move others towards observation, awareness, connection, and action, and ultimately, an elevated and enriched consciousness about our world.”

St. John’s expressive sculptures each depict an individual animal, while his vessels are intended to embody the soul of an animal in a more abstract interpretation. He considers all these works to be reliquaries and incorporates a small remnant of wood collected near the animal when each piece is fired in the kiln. His use of stoneware mixed with earthenware, fired with local wood, offers these sensitive works a connection between the spirits of the animals and their wild habitat.

Using a unique gas and wood-fired kiln designed by a fellow graduate student, he achieves an intense reduction firing to impart the appearance of deep age to his work. He lovingly made the accompanying drawings of animals from soot, ash, and iron oxide, results of the firing process, mixed with a bit of color. While creating the work, St. John realized that his chosen color palette evoked the soft layers of pearly to deep grays found on the Oregon coast, reflecting his deep yearning for his home state.

For over 18 years, St. John has been creating artwork with a passionate environmental message focusing on wildlife. His work has been exhibited and collected nationally and overseas and is included in the permanent collections of two American museums. This is his first show on the Oregon coast.