Beyond the Boiler | John Balistreri
November 15 - January 17
In his latest body of work, titled "Blocks, Bars and Balls," Balistreri distills the formal vocabulary he has developed throughout his distinguished career into essential three-dimensional forms. The large-scale sculptures feature spherical cores with blocks of various sizes radiating outward, connected by linear bars, a deceptively simple formula that yields infinite possibilities. The vertical sculptures loosely reference the figure while drawing inspiration from midcentury modernism in painting, sculpture, and design. Balistreri's glazing techniques are equally significant, creating surfaces that evoke geologic time—as if stone were slowly melting over the forms. The result is work that exists outside time, addressing the universal human condition rather than immediate social or political concerns. With over forty sculptures completed or in progress, the series represents both a refinement and an expansion of the artist's ceramic practice.
About the Artist
John Balistreri is a Professor of Art at Bowling Green State University where he has led the Ceramic program since 1996. He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute (1986), an MFA from Kent State University (1988), and was honored with the Emerging Talent Award at the 1995 NCECA Conference.
A former Board member of the Archie Bray Foundation, Balistreri is recognized internationally for his innovations in ceramic 3D printing and has been awarded two patents for his technological contributions to the field. His work has appeared in numerous books on ceramic art and his articles have been published in Ceramics: Art and Perception, Ceramics Monthly, and American Craft. Balistreri has conducted over fifty workshops and lectures throughout the United States and China, has had over a dozen solo exhibitions of large-scale ceramic work, and has participated in many national and international group exhibitions. His sculptures can be found in several permanent collections including the Fredrick R. Weisman Art Museum, The American Museum of Ceramic Art, The Canton Museum of Art, and the Shiwan Treasure Pottery Museum in China, among others.
Stoneware, gas fired 50.5" x 26" x 25" 2024
Stoneware, gas fired 51" x 25" x 22" 2025
Stoneware, gas fired 50.5" x 26" x 25" 2024
When I was young, I spent a lot of time climbing inside huge boilers at my family's greenhouse business. I would lie face down on the steel tubes washing out the slag and the scale, repairing refractory where needed. It was a dark, rusty place, filled with echoes. It was my favorite job. After starting the boiler, the 250-horsepower blower would wind up and the massive burner would ignite, shaking the room. As the water turned to steam, the steel header hammered and the whole place warmed up. It was visceral, primeval, it felt alive, and I understood it. That boiler is still in my bones when I walk into the studio. I hope that my work contains some of that spirt as it moves into the world as sculpture or painting.