Judd Schiffman: Ask the Dust

David B. Smith Gallery is proud to present Ask The Dust, a solo exhibition by Providence, RI-based artist Judd Schiffman. Featuring a series of Schiffman’s “outlines”—his distinctive wall- mounted ceramic sculpture with ceramic borders enclosing rich low-relief imagery—Ask The Dust populates the Main Gallery with ruminations on the nature of the self.

 

In Ask the Dust, Schiffman blends fantastical imagery inspired by literature and geography with that of nature. The exhibition borrows its title from a 1939 novel of the same name by Colorado-based author John Fante (1909–1983), which describes a young male protagonist struggling with his masculinity and delusions of grandeur, avoiding his underlying cowardice. By referencing this novel, Schiffman considers his own relationship to spiritual practice and his personal journey of self-discovery, aging, and acceptance. 

 

A distinct approach to material and method are among the standout elements of Schiffman’s work. Truly unique in form, Schiffman’s ornately glazed stoneware wall tile arrangements are heavily informed by his drawing practice. Through layers of colored glaze, low-relief ceramic tiles depict figures, flora and fauna, and objects, carrying narratives that speak to the artist’s lived experience and ongoing inquiries. Disarmingly loose in his renderings yet intricately designed and executed, works possess a stylized, illustrative quality met with a mastery of ceramic craftsmanship.