he/him

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Bio:

Mike Cerv received his Bachelors of Fine Arts with a focus in Ceramics from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2017, was an artist-in-residence at the Clay Art Center in Port Chester, NY, and received his Masters of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University in 2021. He recently moved back to Kansas City and accepted an opportunity to be a teaching resident at the University of Kansas. Cerv works predominantly in ceramic, wood, and metal but often includes other materials in his work. He has educated both children and adults in a variety of ceramic, wood, and digital processes.

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Statement:

"Mike Cerv constructs his work using tar paper templates and bisque molds. These methods allow Cerv to create semi-identical objects with ease. Since the surface of the object is protected by either the tar paper or bisque, fresh slabs are often adorned with stretched textural designs then molded and glazed. 

 

Current templates are designed digitally using Rhino 3-D and laser cut in tar paper. In this way, forms are modeled whole then unraveled and rejoined to generate folding stencils. Once cut, the tar paper is adhered to the clay with water and used to trace the necessary shape. Finally, the slab is folded together and seams are joined. Much like darting used to tailor clothing, these seams determine each object's final profile. "