NEHMA | Collection - Geometric Construction

Douglas Kenney

American, b. 1962

Geometric Construction
1994

Stoneware
3.25 x 23 x 23 in. (8.255 x 58.42 x 58.42 cm)
Gift of the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation
1996.31

Doug Kenney refers to his abstract ceramic pieces as “experiments in design; an attempt to find balance between the geometric and the organic.” Drawing inspiration from the industrial uses and processes of ceramic production, Kenney’s Geometric Construction is a large stoneware plate that acts as a canvas for a layered, collagelike design of geometric shapes. The piece has been fired multiple times in order to build up layers of hard-edged and organic decoration, adding depth and complexity to the surface.  
Kenney, born and raised in San Diego, California, made an early start on his career as a ceramic artist when he began throwing on the potter’s wheel in high school. Under his teacher’s careful tutelage, he learned a great deal about ceramics processes, including glaze formulation and firing techniques. Kenney attended San Diego State University, where earned a bachelor’s degree, and moved on to the Rochester Institute of Technology’s School for American Craft for his master’s degree. In ensuing years, Kenney was an instructor at San Antonio College in Texas, an artist in residence at the Shigaraki Ceramic Cultural Park in Japan, and an independent studio potter based in Hawaii. In 2010, he moved back to San Diego, where he has a home and studio in the Mount Helix area and continues his flourishing ceramic practice.

Ayla Murray

Exhibition List

This object was included in the following exhibitions: