Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on August 23, 2012

In talking with Coopersburg artist Tom Laudenslager, that most famous and simple work penned by American poet Joyce Kilmer comes to mind: I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. Kilmer held such fascination for this creation in his art of the written word. Laudenslager artfully translates his own fascination into interpretive sculpture of bonsai-inspired vases.

At his Flint Hill Studio in Coopersburg, Lehigh Co., Laudenslager focuses primarily on bonsai, or bonsai-like trees for his unique creations in stoneware or porcelain clay. His work is currently on exhibit at The Gallery at the JCC (Jewish Community Center) in Allentown, through Sept. 14. Laudenslager is sharing gallery space with award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer P.B. Buddy Eleazer, and his works of the Lehigh Valley themed Stories Along the Road.

Ive always been fascinated by the study of trees, said Laudenslager, who refers to them as the most noble of subjects. Hes spent nearly four decades in drawing, painting, photography and sculpting, but its only been the last 20 years that hes been perfecting techniques with clay as his primary medium of expression. The last eight years have been occupied with sculpting bonsai vases which he exhibited locally at Stahls Pottery in Zionsville.

The Lehigh Valley native admits hes no green thumb when it comes to growing bonsai. He said it was during a family vacation in Montreal eight years ago when he was inspired after visiting botanical gardens filled with bonsai. His fascination surfaced in the many sketches and photographs he brought back home. He said his first attempts with bonsai imagery were so labor-intensive that he backed off for a while before investigating different ways to make the process work for him. He recalled that attempting cutaways in a piece created monumental problems regarding its strength, but he refused to give up. The whole process of invention, tweaking and revising still goes on for me as an artist, he said.

Laudenslagers work begins as a vase form, perhaps with its front face removed to reveal an interior back wall of glaze. Eventually it will be transformed to pure sculpture, perhaps resembling sky or a waterfall. Works become little more than ground, trunk, and delicate lattice work of branches and foliage. Constructed with traditional hand-built slabs, Laudenslagers forming techniques resemble those a metal smith or fine woodworker might use. Fuse-colored glass, stains, paints and patinas are just some of the materials that may be used.

Laudenslager has been an art instructor for more than 30 years, primarily in ceramics, photography, art history, and drawing. Twenty of those years have been in the Souderton Area School District, Upper Montgomery County, currently at Souderton Area High School. A graduate of Saucon Valley High School, he obtained bachelor and masters degrees in education at Kutztown University and pursued further studies at Tyler School of Art, University of the Arts, Art New England, and Moravian College.

Most recently, hes been creating, or calibrating, flat wall pieces that incorporate bonsai trees, carved clay, photography and wood, while cutting away negative space. He admits there are many traditional ways of working with clay, but the real challenge is the interplay between different media, where boundaries are broken down. Thats something he likes to instill in his Souderton students regarding the creative process.

Its a passion of mine that students see the work you do as an artist outside of the classroom, he said. If we want kids to be excited about art, its important for them to see adults passionate about what they do. Sometimes Ill bring in a piece from my studio, where I feel a certain technique Im tackling ties into an assignment of theirs. I want them to think creatively and problem-solve. Its all part of the creative process.

Laudenslager will be exhibiting for the first time at the 42nd annual Peters Valley Fine Craft Fair at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, NJ, Sept. 29-30, and at the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen Holiday Show at the Lancaster Convention Center, Nov. 12-13.

For further info: tomlaudenslager.com allentownjcc.org

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For artist Tom Laudenslager, it's a vase lovely as a tree

Category: Jewish American Heritage Month
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