About Tom Supensky

Tom Supensky is Professor Emeritus in Art at
Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland.
He now resides in Aiken, South Carolina.



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Some Personal Philosophical Views
by Tom Supensky

Motto:  Don't Forget How To Play

Brief Statement:

I keep technique and materials as simple as possible and focus my attention on content and aesthetics.  My work comes directly from my personal life experiences and world events.  I use subject matter as symbols to express a variety of ideas or concepts.

I enjoy the use of color and often use humor in my work. 

My clay sculptures are hand built in a vitreous earthenware, basically using the coil method of construction.  I use commercial engobes and a clear glaze to obtain either a matte or a shiny surface.  I am interested, for the most part, in making my objects slightly larger than life size.  The overall scale of my work relates directly to the size of the objects I am depicting.
Tom Supensky at Work:

The Progression of a Sculpture

(click on a thumbnail to view the full size image)






Education:

University of Southern California, 1956-57.

The Ohio State University, BFA in Ceramics 1961.

Towson University, MEd in Art 1968.

Johns Hopkins University, postgraduate 1968-72.




Teaching:

Towson University, Towson, Maryland - 1968 to February 2004. (Retired, Professor Emeritus)

Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Md. - part time, 1966 to 1972.

University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin - guest artist, January to June 1972.

University of the West of England-Bristol, Bristol, England - Fulbright Teacher Exchange, 1982-83 and 1988-90.

Lorenzo de Medici, Florence, Italy, September 1996 - January 1997.

Carl von Ossietzky Universität-Oldenburg, Germany - 1999-2000 and 2002-2003.

Publications:

Ceramic Art in the School Program, Davis Publications, 1968.

Numerous articles in periodicals including Ceramics Monthly,  Ceramics:  Art and Perception, and Ceramics Technical.

Recent publication:  Seeing Less and Knowing More, Ceramics Technical, No. 21, 2005, pp. 61-62.

Recent Exhibitions:

2008  Group Exhibition, The Mac Gallery, McCormack, South Carolina.

2008  Aiken Artist Guild Invitational, University of South Carolina - Aiken, Aiken, South Carolina.

2008  NCECA Cup Sale, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

2007 Suggesting Reality, one-person exhibition, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

2007 I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas, Aiken Historical Museum, Aiken, South Carolina.

Numerous exhibitions in America as well as in England, Italy, Germany and Korea.

One-person exhibition:  Rabold Gallery, Aiken, South Carolina, October 21 to November 18, 2004.

Seeing Less, Knowing More, Academy of the Arts, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.  April, 2005.

2nd Annual Southeastern Sculpture Competition, Aiken Historical Museum, Aiken, South Carolina.  March, 2006.

Eighth Annual Belton Standpipe Festival Juried Art Show, Belton, South Carolina, September, 2006.

Recent Workshops and Lectures:

University of South Carolina, Art Department, Columbia, South Carolina.

Numerous workshops and lectures in America as well as in England, Italy, Germany, Korea, Spain and Canada.

Lecture:  Rabold Gallery, Aiken, South Carolina, October 21, 2004.

Workshop:  Southern Moon Pottery, Aiken, South Carolina, October 9, 2004.

Presentations: 

National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA), Exploring Personal Philosophical Concepts.  March 16, 2007.

Visiting Artist/Scholar: 

Artist-in-Residence, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, April through May 2008

University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. February through April, 2005.

(Contact the artist for a complete Curriculum Vitae.)

All artwork and images © Thomas G. Supensky