Colby Parsons

Colby Parsons
Associate Professor of Art
Department of Visual Arts
Program Area: Ceramics
Contact: cparsons@twu.edu

Professional Preparation
M.F.A. - Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
B.Ph. - Miami University, Ohio

Profile
Colby Parsons teaches ceramics courses and has been a member of the faculty since 1998. Between receiving his two degrees, Colby worked as the potter for a small production pottery in Cincinnati, Ohio. His current work in clay is sculptural, often making use of found objects and other material in addition to clay. The vocabulary of form for these sculptures is derived from various industrial and domestic implements and objects.

Artwork
I make sculpture that explores the transformative potential at the intersection of physical material and digital media.  My background in ceramics gives me an aesthetic based in raw materiality, however I am also fascinated with the potential of new media to add motion and different kinds of interactivity to what is usually a static form of expression.  This investigation has taken a variety of forms which often combines sculptural elements with digital video projections.  In all of these works, I am taking something I consider ordinary, something that is not particularly noteworthy or interesting, and transforming it into a visual spectacle using the filmic illusion of animation.  This act draws attention not only to the way we place value on certain objects or experiences over others, but also considers our visual interpretation of reality itself.

a. Cloud / sculpture with video / 2008
b. Watercube / sculpture with video / 2006
c. Window / sculpture / 2007