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Artist information:
Jessica Steinhauser
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
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Jessica Steinhauser is showing at:
Open Concept Gallery Open Concept Gallery
50 Louis Street NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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Jessica Steinhauser
Artist bio: Many of Jessica Steinhäuser’s designs are inspired by the medieval castles that surrounded her as a child in her native Germany. It was as a high-school exchange student in Grand Rapids, Michigan, however, that Jessica studied ceramics for the first time, realizing upon her return to Germany, that she wanted to be a potter. Jessica undertook studies at the State School of Art and Design in Nürnberg and the State School for Ceramics in Landshut, Germany, where she received her graduate Journeyman Potter designation. Since 1988, Jessica has made her home in Guelph, Canada where she has flourished as a professional potter. Jessica continues to experiment as an artist, creating not only distinctive pottery, but also working with a variety of media to create mosaics, paintings and Kachelöfen. Jessica has been distinguished in her community with nominations in 2007 and 2008 for the YMCA-YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Arts and Culture.

Artist statement: My work is a reflection of my German heritage and my Canadian sense of possibility. My training is all German: I am thorough and disciplined. My life in Canada, however, has given me a sense of space, openness and potential. Just as I can choose whether to speak in German or English, I can also choose the language – in the form of material, style, colour and decoration – of the pieces I create. I am continually taking European ideas and modifying them for a North American context. Kachelöfen – decorative masonry heaters for homes – are quite common in Germany. They are functional yet decorative; pieces of art that are also good for the environment. After twenty years as a potter, I decided it was time to add Kachelöfen to my repertoire. I am just beginning to realize my dream of introducing these functional works of art to North America.
About the work:
Title: kachelofen

Art form: 3-D

Medium: clay

Year created: 2007

Description of work: This kachelofen is a cylindrical masonry oven whose shape is inspired by pillars in Europe (Litfassäule) where people post and come to seek information. It is created from square kacheln, or clay tile bricks, that are set with clay mortar. When installed to be functional, a flue structure is built out of refractory brick inside with a small fire chamber so that the kachelofen only has to burn three or four logs per day. The clay tiles radiate a gentle heat. The kachelofen is seven feet high and about three feet across, and its cast-iron door was created specifically for it by blacksmith Sandra Dunn. This Kachelofen has been assembled without the flue system inside. It will take 4 days to assemble this model Kachelofen (without the flue system).

Work statement:
My heart is in the creation of this kachelofen. It was designed to celebrate the northern forest, and you will find images of snow, wood and trees on the clay tiles. I often record my thoughts in the kacheln, sometimes in English, but mainly in German so that they remain private. The lyrics to a Tom Waits song, “No One Knows I’m Gone,” are recorded in these tiles. There is also a poem by Goethe, as well as excerpts from my favourite children’s book. This kachelofen bears my private testimony, and yet it is designed as a communal object, something to be gathered around. To that end, the oven’s patchwork design with different shades of green resembles a quilt, which emphasizes the warmth and comfort of hearth and home that this functional work of art can provide. The beauty of a kachelofen is that it is a piece of art – but it can also heat your home.

Technical details:
Work width: n/a
Work height: n/a
Work depth: n/a
Required venue ceiling: n/a
Required venue door height: n/a
Required venue door width: n/a
Required wall linear footage: n/a
Required venue square footage: n/a
Additional considerations:
Audio/video needed: No
Electrical needed: No
Lighting needed: Yes
Internet access needed: No
Ground floor access needed: Yes
Indoor space needed: Yes
Outdoor space needed: No
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