Yellow Peril Presents Matt Wilt and Jian (Jack) Yu in Solo Exhibitions in Parallel with Lively Experiments, NCECA’s 49th Annual Conference in Providence, RI

Providence, RI, February 16, 2015 --(PR.com)-- Yellow Peril Gallery is pleased to present two solo exhibitions from Matt Wilt and Yian (Jack) Yu, in parallel with Lively Experiments, the 49th Annual Conference hosted by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) from March 24 to April 19, 2015. The opening reception is Friday, March 27 from 6PM – 9PM.

Head of the Ceramics Department at Skidmore College Matt Wilt will present Theory + Practice, a new interactive and kinetic installation designed to engage the audience and involve them in a slower, more thoughtful analysis of the artwork and its ideas. Wilt’s recent work synthesizes the human, physical body with mechanics of the manmade world. Symbolic forms that he finds particularly compelling include the hand and objects used as surrogates for the body: bottle nipples, respirator bags, sex toys, prosthetics.

“The hand exemplifies the human presence, while the other objects, to varying degrees, distance us from the most human of activities,” Wilt explains. “These forms, as manufactured objects replicating natural functions, act as substitutes for nature. I find this composite of the physical body and the synthetic world simultaneously fascinating and frightening. Through this line of inquiry I am conscious of the connecting threads that link the many disparate elements of history, culture, and what it is to be human.”

Along with Wilt, ceramic artist, educator and Rhode Island School of Design MFA candidate Jian (Jack) Yu, whose sculptural compositions incorporate post-consumer, mass-produced ceramic objects immersed in viscous glaze, will present Million Dollar Man, an exploration of the American dream as powered by the cheap labor and strong work ethic of China’s manufacturing industry.

“As I have lived my American dream, I have discovered the stuff of the dream is largely made in China,” Yu notes. “China has a rich culture that has developed for thousands of years. However,” he adds, “the development of modern culture in China faces challenges brought on by this change. A combination of cheap labor and a can do attitude has transformed China from a mainly agricultural society to one that has become the world’s factory almost overnight. China’s economic boom has helped many Americans fulfill their American dream.”

Both solo exhibitions will be presented at Yellow Peril in parallel with Lively Experiments, the 49th Annual Conference hosted by NCECA in Providence, RI. Artists worldwide view NCECA as an important opportunity to expose their work to passionate and informed audiences. Extending throughout greater Providence and into Southern New England from March 25 - 28, Lively Experiments will be a unique opportunity to discover, experience, learn about and collect ceramics.

The opening reception for Theory + Practice and Million Dollar Man is Friday, March 27, from 6PM – 9PM. The gallery will host special NCECA hours on Wednesday, March 25, from 10AM – 5:30PM. The exhibition will be on display until Sunday, April 19, 2015. This is the first solo exhibition at Yellow Peril Gallery for both Wilt and Yu.