Jamey Biggs grew up in Summersville, West Virginia. Biggs holds a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and a Bachelor of Science in Art education. He completed an MFA in Ceramics at Indiana State University in 2003. Biggs is an Associate Professor of Art at Concord University where he has instructed Ceramics and Sculpture for 10 years. Jamey’s work is primarily ceramic, addressing both sculptural and utilitarian purposes.
“I first saw Jamey’s work in a Facebook post that Lambros Tsuhlares shared with me a while back, “ said Robert Villamagna, Director of the Nutting Gallery. “The post was a photo of a Tonka-like truck made of clay. That ceramic truck took me back to the 1950s and 60s when I spent hours playing with the metal construction toys made by Buddy L and Tonka. I love the way Jamey exaggerates the components of these vehicles, and makes them even chunkier and heartier than the originals,” says Villamagna.
“I began making the trucks in 2012 for an exhibition curated by Robert Moore and Christine Humphrey in Beckley WV,’ states Biggs. “I was interested in creating work that would be light hearted in its expression and allow me to be light hearted during its creation. I was hoping to create work that was not explicitly related to my own experience and did not require a great deal of explanation for a viewer to find interest. I hoped that the idea of a toy truck was something that would elicit a response in most people with out consideration for age or background.”
Biggs says he felt it was also time for a change in his firing process. “I was looking for a relief from the wood firing that I had been doing,” states Biggs. “The wood fire process requires huge amounts of labor on the firing and is inherently very risky and slow. The earthenware fired in oxidation using an electric kiln could not be more opposite of firing in a wood kiln. The trucks do not reject the craft and utility aspects of ceramics but they do poke a bit of fun. The trucks are after all, functioning planters.”
Biggs says that he hopes the first thing the viewers take away from his work is a smile. “First and foremost the work is playful, says Biggs,. “I hope the piles of materials can evoke connections to hospitality, abundance, and humor. I consider the concept of abundance to be a good thing and it is connected to positive emotions, responses and behaviors. The idea of abundance is also connected to notions of scarcity and waste. I am curious to see if viewers find that this is evoked by the work or not.”
Jamey Biggs will also be presenting a four-hour workshop on Thursday, September 25, from 4 to 8 PM. A limited number of spaces for participants are available. Contact Robert Villamagna for more information.
All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public. The Nutting Gallery is open 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM weekdays; evenings and weekends by arrangement. For additional information contact Robert Villamagna at 304-336-8370 or at rvillama@westliberty.edu