Paul Andrew Wandless
American Masters Exhibit

Born in Miami, Florida and raised in Delaware, Paul Andrew Wandless currently lives and has his studio in the Philadelphia, PA area. His current body of work utilizes the figure/torso as a point of departure for visual narratives. Ceramic processes and printmaking techniques are combined to create wall mounted and freestanding clay sculpture, mixed media sculpture, prints and paintings. The works are abstract expressive self-portraits reflecting concerns, beliefs and musings of his surroundings and day-to-day experiences. His custom glazes combined with commercial materials are applied in multiple layers with multiple firings to create rich surfaces. Texture, text and bold colors are used to add context and content to the narratives. Printmaking techniques used in his clay work include, screening, stenciling, monoprinting, relief printing, and custom decals.

As a writer, Wandless authored Image Transfer On Clay (Lark Books, 2006) and co-authored Alternative Kilns & Firing Techniques (Lark Books, 2004) and also writes articles for Pottery Making Illustrated magazine as a regular contributor. As an independent curator he specializes in exhibiting artists who utilize image transfer processes to create work. In 1999 he co-founded and maintains a multi-cultural artist website www.culturalvisions.org as a gallery and resource site. Wandless also co-founded the on-line magazine www.terracottamag.com which launched October 2006.

Wandless gives workshops regarding his art, techniques and research around the country and has taught as a visiting assistant professor since 1999 at different Universities while maintaining his studio work and activities. He's currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Ceramics at Rowan University (NJ). Wandless is also the recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from Minnesota State University, Mankato (2002) and the 2007 NCECA Outstanding Achievement Award for editing and creating the Demonstrating Artist Series on DVD. His clay work, prints, oil paintings and drawings are collected privately.

Wandless has been a Presidential Appointee to the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) since 2003 as the video editor for the demonstrating artists program. He served on the Board of Directors for NCECA as a Director-at-Large (2001- 2003), the Board of Directors for The Clay Studio of Philadelphia (2003-2006) and has been on the steering committee for the Philadelphia Sculptors since 2001.

He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from Arizona State University ('99), a Master of Art degree from Minnesota State University-Mankato ('97) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of Delaware ('95)

I combine ceramic processes with printmaking techniques and take full advantage of both mediums for my work. My visual vocabulary has no bounds as a result and allows for more aesthetically sophisticated compositions and narratives. The clay prints have images and color layered in a way unique to this hybrid approach combining mediums. The prints are narratives full of color, symbols, text, icons, graphics, illustrations and reoccurring characters. Some prints are one of a kind and others part of editions, but all tell stories or share insights with the viewer. Working sculpturally, the figure serves as a point of departure and is used as a tablet or canvass for images, symbols and text to be placed creating my narrative or dialogue. Working this way allows for a metaphorical face to put on personal concerns, beliefs, fears, ideologies and philosophies.

Materials and images are selected for the emotional, psychological, symbolic or iconic connotations they inherently posses. Surface, texture and color reflect my mood and visually project the emotion of the piece. This approach of using multiple layers of color and imagery reflect the multiple layering of ideas and thoughts invested in the work, which produces personally coded content.

Ultimately, my work is meant to engage and inform the viewer by telling my side of the story of how I see the world through my personal experiences, insights and philosophy.

2007 "Clay & The Transferred Image", Barr Gallery, Indiana University Southeast

2007 "The Figure In Clay", AMACO/Brent Gallery, Indianapolis, IN

2007 "Alabama Clay Conference 22 Exhibition", Kennedy-Douglas Art Center, Florence, AL

2007 "First Fifty: An Arts Center Anniversary Exhibition", Rocky Mount Arts Center, Rocky Mount, NC

2006 "Armory Affaire D'Art", Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL

2006 "Clay Expressions Exhibitions", AMACO/Brent Gallery, Indianapolis, IN

2006 "Muse of Fire: The Ceramic Figure", Charlie Cummings Gallery, FT. Wayne, IN

2006 "Penland Instructor Exhibit", Penland Gallery, Penland School of Crafts, NC

2006, "Beyond Function", Rike Gallery, University of Dayton

2006 "Shades of Clay:A Multi-cultural Look at Contemporary Clay", Traveling Exhibition venues: Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA; Louisiana Art Museum, Baton Rouge, LA; Berman Museum of Art, Collegeville, PA

2005 "Clay & the Printed Image 1", Charlie Cummings Gallery, FT. Wayne, IN

2005 "New Marks", Howard County Community College, Columbia, MD

2005 "Creativity in Clay: Kuumba", James E. Lewis Museum of Art (Baltimore, MD), Morgan State Universtiy

2005 "Delaware Dirt", Recitation Gallery, University of Delaware

2005 "Shades of Clay:A Multi-cultural Look at Contemporary Clay", Traveling Exhibition venues: Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, WI; Stark Gallery, College Station, TX; Museum of Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX

2004 "Earth Tones", Rocky Mount Art Center, Rocky Mount, NC

2004 "Seven Thoughts on Clay", MoToBurton Gallery, Surf City, NJ

2004, "Rowan University Faculty Exhibition", L.B.I. Arts Foundation Gallery, NJ

2004 "Alchemy", Penland Gallery, Penland School of Crafts, NC

2004 "Penland Instructor Exhibit", Penland Gallery, Penland School of Crafts, NC

2004, "AMACO/Brent 2004 NCECA Invitational Exhibition", AMACO/Brent Gallery, Indianapolis, IN

2004 "Herron Faculty and Student Alumni Exhibition", Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN

2004 "Diversity in Unity:Contemporary African-American Ceramics", Baltimore Clayworks, Baltimore, MD

2004, "Well Beyond the Crossroads", Concord University, Athens, WV

2003 "You Still Draw Like a Girl", 6th Street Studio, Phoenix, AZ

2003, "Rowan University Faculty Exhibition", Westby Art Gallery, Glassboro, NJ

2003, Atlantic City Art Center, Atlantic City, NJ

2002 , "Bird Abodes", Tyler Arboretum Outdoor sculpture invitational, Sculptural birdhouse

2002, "Shades of Clay 2002", American Jazz Museum, Kansas City, Missouri

2002, "Visions: An African American Journey in Clay", The Clay Studio, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2002 "Cultural Visions Vessel Exhibition 2002", 18th Street Studio, Kansas City, Missouri

2001, "Contemporary African-American Ceramics", Pewabic Pottery (Invitational), Detroit, Michigan

2001, "2001 Westmoreland Art Nationals", Westmoreland County Community College (Juried), Youngwood, Pennsylvania

2001, "Indiana Images:African American Visual Artists", Invitational Traveling Exhibition, Venues: Morris Brown College-Ruth Hall Hodges Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia; IPS Crispus Attucks Museum Gallery V, Indianapolis, Indiana

2001, "Breaking the Mold:African-American Ceramists Create", The Afro-American Cultural Center, Charlotte, North Carolina

2001, "Philadelphia Sculptors Members Exhibition", Girard College, Philadelphia, PA

2001, "Lilly Salon 2001:Diaspora", Eli Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN, 5 Person Invitational, All Media

2000, "Lasting Connections", Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Invitational with brochure

2000, "All Artists Show 2000", Editions Limited Gallery, Indianapolis,IN, gallery artists invitational

2000, "Ceramics Invitational", Effie Conklin Gallery, Minnesota State University-Mankato, Invitational exhibition

2000, Herron School of Art Faculty Exhibition, Herron Art Gallery, Indianapolis, IN

2000, "Meet the Artists 13", Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library, Indianapolis, IN