Lyons’ Share: Past and Future of a Modern Medium
Clay Matrix, © Andrew Smith/Visual Realia, LLC
The clay monoprint process, created and mastered by Pennsylvania's Mitch Lyons, is a unique form of printing using pigment-colored clay slips rather than ink or paint. After pulling a print, remnants of the work stay behind on the clay slab they are designed on (matrix) to appear randomly in future prints.
This medium continues with a relatively small but active group of artists after Mitch's passing. "The Lyons' Share" opened on Thursday, September 5th, at the Chester County Art Association: Creative Space For Everyone in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The exhibit, featuring four clay monoprint artists plus representative works of Lyons, runs through September 24th. The Art Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has served the region since 1931.
"The Lyons' Share" exhibit at the Chester County Art Association
Clay artists work with material that was ages in the making. Over extremely long periods, rocks (often feldspar, our planet's most abundant mineral group) are broken down chemically through natural solvents such as carbonic acid. Hydrothermal action, moving water under heat, and sometimes via volcanos also all add to the creation of this magical substance.
The resting places for the clays are often near slow-moving water areas such as lakes and basins; various amounts of water combine with the clay materials, creating plasticity. When dried naturally or with heat to speed up the process, water levels decrease, and the clay hardens. Humans, always wanting to express themselves while staying in touch with the natural world around them, naturally explored creativity with clay.
Clay monoprint artists find that elements of previous works appear along with the new material, which happens somewhat randomly. The monoprint artist is like the conductor and composer combined but ultimately can only partially control the individual musicians. The clay slab upon which one works, known as the matrix, makes some of its own decisions. (Readers can learn more about the medium's process at this link.)
Lyons' wife, Meredith Wakefield, tells us that the process began on February 24th, 1968, when Mitch pulled his first clay monoprint. "By 1970, he had decided to dedicate his time to developing the art form." He initially worked on a small matrix at the Delaware Contemporary but later rolled out a 6ft X 6ft clay slab in his own studio. "It originally was 1/4" thick and is now 4-1/2" thick."
The West Chester exhibit features works by Wakefield, fellow clay monoprint artists Steve Koelsch, Robin Sesan, and Andrew Smith, and representative works by creator Mitch Lyons. Viewers can explore artists' different styles and paths with this unique art form. In preparation for visiting, the participating artists share some insights below.
Culture On The Line: "How (and when, if you wish) did you first run across the clay monoprint medium? Initial thoughts? What pushed you to move beyond appreciation to try it yourself?"
© Meredith Wakefield; used with permission of the artist.
Meredith Wakefield: "I first met Mitch in 2010 when he rented a studio space at St. Petersburg Clay Company in Florida. He was situated in the large community room in one of the corners, where he set up a table to work on. He was eager and willing to demonstrate his technique to anyone who showed interest in how the process worked. Like many others, the clayprinting technique was one I had to see to truly understand. When he offered a workshop, I signed up and fell in love with the art form."
© Andrew T. Smith/Visual Realia, LLC; used with permission of the artist.
Andy Smith: "I was attending an arts-focused day at the Pennsylvania Governor's Residence when I ran across someone demonstrating the medium and handing out small samples. I was fascinated by both the visual feel of the result and the concept of purposely working with a medium that did not provide complete control of the result.
"When I went home, I Googled the process and saw that the creator, Mitch Lyons, was teaching workshops only ten minutes from my older daughter's home, so the opportunity was right before me."
© Steve Koelsch; used with permission of the artist.
Steve Koelsch: "Somewhere around 2001, I met Mitch at a pottery studio and immediately signed up for a class with him. He was so great at any aspect of working with clay, but the imagery of monoprinting really grabbed my creativity. So, the self-discovery aspects of this media are what it gave back to me."
© Robin Sesan; used with permission of the artist.
Robin Sesan: "I first saw Mitch Lyons at the Brandywine Arts Festival in 2008. I was fascinated by his process and watched him demonstrate. As we walked away from his booth, I asked my partner to buy me a workshop with Mitch for the holidays. I loved the process from the beginning. The colors I could create, the everyday items I could use, and the fun I had in creating."
COTL: "Any recollections about your early attempts?"
Robin: "I was excited to begin clay printing but discouraged because it looked so easy, but it was not so easy to create beautiful pieces. My work was dull and kind of mushy. As I learned more and became more patient, my work began to evolve and get better. I continue to learn and experiment, and my work now has a distinctive voice. I still make prints that aren't very good, but that is all part of the process."
Meredith: "To be honest, I struggled at first, but as I grew more comfortable with letting go, I began to appreciate my attempts. Mitch would often tell me not to think so much. I still need to remind myself of this sometimes! It was an interesting way to approach the art. Mostly, I remember Mitch telling me to keep adding texture and color over and over to the clay slab. Just keep going."
Andy: "I was captivated by the possibilities. In older mediums with vast histories and established norms, much about the process is set before any pigment hits the canvas. Because the clay monoprint medium is relatively new by art standards, expectations on approaching the process are much more flexible."
Steve: "I still have several pieces that I admire as excellent early efforts. Working with Mitch as his assistant was always SO enjoyable. Happy time!"
COTL: "Now that you have been working with the medium for a considerable length, what motivates you to continue?"
Steve: "Continuing to learn new ideas, and some of my results are indeed masterpieces in their own right. I look at them and wonder how I could be so lucky as to be the doorway through which this art is born. I guess most artists simply love being creative!"
Robin: "There are never-ending possibilities to create new and different pieces of art with this process. I am experimenting all of the time. So, it keeps me motivated and interested as I push the boundaries of this medium. I have started to add collage to some of my pieces and mark making."
Meredith: "For me, it's really all about exploration and discovery. Even these days, many of my students ask what-if questions. I encourage them to try, and many times, they successfully create what they were hoping to, but doing so from a completely different angle than I may have ever thought. I learn something every time I teach a workshop. It continues to spark my curiosity."
Andy: "The novel nature of the medium means that every path to a print is new. When a clay monoprint is pulled, not only is the print itself one of a kind, but so are the decisions made along the way. In addition to being an artist and creator, the experimentation involved means you're a bit of a scientist, always learning more about the process."
COTL: "How would you describe your style or approach?"
Andy: "There are certainly some elements of geometric abstraction. Since there's never complete control of the resulting print, most artists in this medium explore abstraction. Using geometric shapes provides an anchor where realism isn't possible.
”After seven years with this medium, I've finally learned enough to say I'm not a beginner, but I hope always to have that beginner sense of wonder in mind. I want the materials to take the lead."
Steve: "I continue to play with new images and relearn all aspects of visual art. Always new, fresh attempts to find the best result."
Robin: "My work is semi-abstract. I often create a piece with a familiar image embedded in abstraction. My work is multilayered, with layers revealed the more someone looks at my art. I also use an abstract figurative approach in many of my pieces. My work is all about seeing beneath the layers and finding hidden gems."
Meredith: "I approach each print with no end product in mind. I simply begin by loading up my clay slab with textures and colors and adding layer upon layer. As Mitch used to say, "If I knew what I was going to do, I wouldn't do it." Sounds funny, yet it's true. It's the process itself that really matters, and that's what keeps me hooked as I try different techniques and color palettes. Most importantly, it teaches me patience and to let go of expectations."
"The Dance," Clay Monoprint by © Mitch Lyons; used with permission.
COTL: "Where do you personally want to go (or try) with the medium short-term?"
Robin: "I want to keep growing as an artist and work with both bold and more neutral color palettes."
Steve: "I find myself lost in the pleasure of bringing visual art into the world. I would like to continue showing the world the joy of unique new images."
Andy: "Continued experimentation. Since the medium is so fresh and undefined, we all have much more to learn. I'm further fascinated by how the clay monoprint can interact with other approaches, so mixed media pieces are becoming more common for me."
Meredith: "I was blessed to have been part of Mitch's life, not just as his wife but also as the torchbearer of his legacy. It's important to me to continue teaching the technique so that others can enjoy this innovative art form. I love to see the excitement the process creates as students learn how to print from clay. I know Mitch would be thrilled to see all the students who've gone on to make his technique their own."
Meredith shared thoughts and words from the creator himself.
"Printing with colored clay fills me with a sense of joy and wonder. It is the most satisfying and cathartic experience I have ever had. Adding pigments to porcelain slip that is then applied to a wet slab of clay and printed onto paper produces a luminosity that I feel other mediums lack. My work is about making marks into clay. The process rewards the product."
Lyons continues to spread his interest in process and experimentation through his students. Explore each and other aspects of clay monoprints in The Lyons' Share exhibit.
Each of the four artists displayed a work pulled on Mitch Lyons' matrix specifically for the exhibit.
"The Lyons' Share"
Chester County Art Association
100 N. Bradford Ave, West Chester, PA
Parking Available On-Site.
chestercountyarts.org
September Gallery Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10 AM - 5 PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Closed Sundays
Artists:
Steve Koelsch (skoelsch3@yahoo.com)
Robin Sesan (www.robinsesanart.com)
Andrew Smith (visualrealia.com)
Meredith Wakefield (mitchlyonsstudio.com)
Works by Mitch Lyons (mitchlyonsstudio.com)
"The Lyons' Share" opened on Thursday, September 5th, 2024, at the Chester County Art Association in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The exhibit, featuring four clay monoprint artists plus representative works of Lyons, runs through September 24th. The Art Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has served the region since 1931.
Learn more about the clay monoprint process:
The Matrix — The Diary of a Clay Monoprint Artist
The Art of Printing with Clay by Mitch Lyons
An artist noted in this article, Andrew Smith, is the author of the article and owner/creator of Culture On The Line.
All works copyright the associated artists and/or Andrew T. Smith.