Spring is always a flurry of MFA thesis shows and I am enjoying actually having the time to check a lot of them out now that I am out of school. I swung by the Howard Yezerski Gallery in the middle of the week; it was strange to have the gallery to myself to peruse without the throngs of First Friday gallery goers! I am thrilled that Yezerski is breaking with its mold to follow the lead of other galleries (like Anthony Greeney) and show the work of emerging artists. Even though Fill Me Up won’t be up for First Fridays, it is still an exciting precedent.

I know Rob Chamberlin as a photographer and performance artist, so it was fascinating to see his thesis show – composed entirely of clay pots! The vases spilled across the room, taking full advantage of the gallery white walls, and invited the gallery goers to approach even the works sitting on the floor. I spent my time in the gallery inspecting the variety of white pots, peering at the icing-like decorations from different angles, and trying to connect the dots between the show and what I already knew of Chamberlin’s work. Rob will have to tell me if I’m right, but I was reminded of his fascination with the concept of the MRS degree – earning a college degree in order to become a housewife. Rob has hosted bake sales as part of a husband search performance, and I couldn’t help but imagine the pots as altered wedding cakes – pristinely white, but terribly and beautifully imperfect.

Discover more of Rob Chamberlin’s work here.