Construction of White Gold: Montana Dreams began in January 2016 in my Granitewood Studio west of Helena. I began with the Porcelain Cloud installation piece, building the framework from wooden 2×4’s in two undulating parts that were designed for the gallery space at the Holter Museum of Art in Helena. Galvanized steel woven wire horse fencing was then attached to the front face of the framework. Steel plate hangers were attached to a selection of about 300 collected vintage porcelain plates and a test panel of porcelain plates was assembled in the studio.

Triple Divide, an installation piece consisting of 3 galvanized steel woven wire arches that sit upon 6 white wooden columns were constructed next. I built the steel wire mesh arches over a wooden form and then proceeded to fill one of the arches with hundreds of biscuit-fired white slip-cast 1950’s era figurines. I acquired these vintage pieces from the Tomich/Finstad family in Butte, Montana who were cleaning out a family home. The pieces were produced in the mid-late 1950’s biscuit-fired, boxed up and stored in the basement of the home for nearly 60 years. The family generously donated hundreds of pieces to me and I in turn created Triple Divide to honor Donnie Tomich’s ceramic activity from the 1950’s.

(Republic of  Korea)

Objects from Helena, Montana Collections