Photograph of Joey Watson, left, courtesy of the artist. Right: Joey Watson, Pupation, 2023. Glazed ceramic. Courtesy of the artist’s studio.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) to present Santa Barbara artist Joey Watson in conversation with SBMA Curator James Glisson at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 28 at 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
In conjunction with the exhibition Made by Hand/Born Digital (on view through August 25), enjoy this conversation between ceramic and performance artist Joey Watson and SBMA Curator of Contemporary Art James Glisson. Watson takes the often bizarre and hard-to-fathom forms that life takes in the natural world—whether insects, sea creatures, or microorganism—and reminds us that being human is just one way of being alive. Watson’s sculptures are also tour-de-forces of traditional and innovative techniques. Watson uses 3D printing, fired clay, dazzling glazes, plastic, metal, and silicon among many other materials to build his hybrid sculptures and realize his complex performances.
Born and grown in the Sonoran desert, where the earth is dry, Watson followed a star to the Kansas City Art Institute where he studied ceramics and then graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. His work explores qualities of ineffable experience shared in, together. He addresses the space between us by concentrating attention in synchronous direction by means of tool design and use, as well as narrative immersion through the collaborative project M?JUG (pronounced M-Sine-Jug), whose engagements are presented through the activation of systems of tools to tell their tale, in the likeness of theater.
He currently lives in Santa Barbara and is the studio manager for Lynda Weinman.
Exploring careful craft with expansive tools. All for dreams.
Location: SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State Street, Santa Barbara
Free Students and Museum Circle/$10 SBMA Members/$15 Non-Members
Get tickets at tickets.sbma.net