A Meticulous Sense of Whimsy: Stephanie Kantor
"Home Plate," Ceramic.
Stephanie Kantor
10 a.m.-7 p.m.
ARTichokes
10557 Mission Road
Leawood, KS
913.322.9481
Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Runs through: June 19.
Artist's site: http://www.stephaniekan.com
Gallery site: http://www.artichokeskc.com
The word "whimsical" conjures up thoughts of ... well, whims. Impulses. Actions first, thoughts later.
Words can be deceiving. At least, that particular word — while perfectly describing Stephanie Kantor's ceramic art from a visual standpoint — doesn't begin to hint at the planning and philosophy inherent in her creative process.
My artwork is a continuous investigation of color, pattern, texture, and how these layers relate and interact with one another, writes Kantor, one of the current group of featured artists at ARTichokes in Leawood. The line where texture and pattern meet becomes an active space that energizes the form and decoration, creating curiosity and tension. Where one relationship ends, another begins.
The same goes for Kantor's physical process of creation, in which ceramics are the end result but not the only one. She explains:
Often my work starts from a photograph, turns into an oil painting, and reaches its fullest potential through ceramics. Through each step of artistic translation, something is lost yet something new arises.
What so often arises in Kantor's work is a sense of playfulness — and yes, whimsy — as typified by Home Plate (pictured above). That never crosses the line into cutesiness, however, because Kantor begins from a point of serious exploration.
I use historical motifs as a system for creating my own vocabulary of pattern developed through the urban environment, she writes. I have found an infatuation with decaying urban architecture. In these decrepit buildings, I find character, chaos, and humor. As layers of paint and plaster fall, previous life and color revel themselves. I emphasize what I like most about these places by enhancing the color and cuteness to an almost childlike naivety.
Who knew entropy could be so much fun, and fun so meticulously conceived?
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Stephanie has a unique way of seeing the world around her and recording it in a unique way through various mediums. She has a special capacity for seeing and finding beauty in places the typical eye would pass over or ignore. Stephanie I believe is one of those rare artistic women who has passed into adulthood with the glee of her youthful intact.untarnished by too many influences and philosophies and the sparkle of curiosity remaining in her eyes. I have rarely seen this graceful transfer of personality sliding over into art a few times in life. There are two artist who do come to my mind which have exemplified this well, Elizabeth Clayton and my Grandma Gorman. Each of these ladies, like Stephanie, have a mysterious way of projecting their innocent "pure" selves over,through and down into the very core of their art works. I might note this is also achieved with little if any recognizable outside influences. Keep being yourself Stephanie and don't lose this innocence nor stop using this natural gift which you've been blessed with.