Robert Zumwalt

Websites:

Biography: 

Music and nature are instilled in Robert Zumwalt and the objects he creates.  Robert grew up in the suburbs of Fresno in the San Joaquin valley, California. His home on the valley floor was surrounded by miles of monocrops. At his doorstep, Yosemite and the giant Sequoias of the Sierras served as playground. Drawn to music at an early age, Robert spent half his life studying classical piano and clarinet, culminating in a master’s degree.  Following school, he volunteered at San Francisco’s arboretum where he studied botanical form and landscape which lead to work as a gardener. Robert conceptualized and installed gardens using his foundation of music.  Musical ideas of form, structure, texture, motifs and style leant themselves to constructing physical space. The seasons and the ephemeral nature of the garden became his meter and rhythm.  At age thirty-five Robert enrolled in his first pottery class.  Initially, he was enamored with producing functional ceramics, the technique and physicality of wheel throwing. However, the call of the sublime, a reminiscence to music making, of constructing and sharing other worlds returned to Robert’s aspirations. As he now focuses on bringing a sense of time and space into static objects, Robert continues to use the transformative experience of music as his guiding light.

Artist Statement:

My ceramic practice is guided by process and material investigation.  I create iterative systems of production that result in series or fragments for larger works. Form is often a byproduct or afterthought of this practice. Variation within my systems is ingrained, often creating obstacles that compel intuitive making. This approach balances hand and process while reflecting humanity. Recurring patterns of nature as well as natural forces make the bulk of my mark making. I use the Japanese techniques of nerikomi and kintsugi to depict our existential experience and the power of ritual respectively.