Greer artist to exhibit ceramics at West Main Artists Co-op

Tapping into his love of nature, ceramicist and photographer Dave Sawyer will exhibit some of his work at West Main Artists Co-op in Spartanburg. 

“Wildness,” a collection of pottery and decorative wall art will be on display from Sept. 20-Oct. 13 at the co-op, 578 W. Main St. The free exhibit can be seen from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. A public reception will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 20 during the city’s monthly ArtWalk.

“This is a celebration of nature and the importance of its wildness in our world,” Sawyer said in a statement. “As Henry David Thoreau proclaimed, ‘We need the tonic of wildness, to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk …’ More so now than ever before, this is true,” he explained. “This exhibit is a celebration of the variety of nature throughout America and hopefully a reminder of the importance of untamed wilderness and its counterbalance to our world of civilization.”

The exhibition of 15 works will consist of both vessels and wall art that will be an “enjoyment and a reminder of the importance of nature and its wildness,” Sawyer said in the statement. “It will be an artistic interpretation of wildlife and natural environs found across America using clay as a canvas and a variety of ceramic glazes and firing techniques with a combination of detailed designs and free-form expression of color.”

Sawyer has worked on this exhibit for the past year, and the pieces will be for sale, ranging in price from $50 to $1,500.

A native of Kansas, Sawyer’s professional career of 30-plus years was in urban planning.  He began exploring his creative side in 2008 with classes at an artisan studio and soon began working with photography as well.

Since 2016, he has been a member of West Main Artists Co-op, where he has a studio and is also the volunteer chair of the Development Committee and a member of the Management Board. He is also a member with Carolina Clay Artists in Spartanburg and Tryon Painters and Sculptors in Tryon, N.C.

“I am thrilled and very blessed to have this exhibition of my ceramic work and most of all to have my granddaughter Kaydee exhibiting her awesome photography in a show of her own in the adjacent gallery here at WMAC. WMAC has provided me with an opportunity to expand my artistic experience with both wonderful studio and gallery spaces and most important of all a refreshing and enlightening collaboration with other artists in a variety of artistic mediums,” he said in the statement.

Sawyer, who is retired, and his wife live in Greer.