Bobby Silverman

Simple shapes and explosive colorful glazes and paint are the visual touchstones of Bobby Silverman’s work in Matter Composition. “The work develops from the outside in,” says the artist. “The surface quality is paramount, and the form is chosen to highlight that surface.” Seeking more than just the emotional communication imparted by color, luminosity, translucency, and reflection, some of Silverman’s works incorporate texts, poetry, and quotations, all in support of his goal of achieving a heightened reality. Sappho, an 11-panel glazed ceramic tile wall piece with a poem by Silverman, is a highlight of the exhibition. The poem was created from text from If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho, a book by Anne Carson. This piece reflects Silverman’s interest in text and the visual representation of information. With ceramic studies in the United States and Japan, Silverman earned his MFA at the New York State College of Ceramics Alfred University, Alfred, NY. His practice has spanned four decades, and Silverman’s works are held in numerous public collections.