Red Lodge Clay Center Short-Term Resident 2015, (AIA) 2018
Travis Winters is a ceramic artist and Programs Manager at Touchstone Center for Crafts. Working primarily with animals and figures, he creates figures based on mundane day-to-day life, past struggles and real people. An MFA graduate from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Winters exhibits work nationally and has shown at Baltimore Clayworks in Baltimore, MD, The Clay Studio in Philadelphia, PA, The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA, The Baton Rouge Gallery in Baton Rouge, LA, and the AMOCA Museum in Pomona, CA. Travis was the Lormina Salter Fellowship Artist at Baltimore Clayworks, long term Resident at Odyssey Clayworks in Asheville, NC, a Kiln God Summer Resident at Watershed Center for the Ceramic Arts in New Castle ME and a Short-Term Resident Artist at Red Lodge Clay Center in Red Lodge, MT.
With my work I am constructing characters, often humorous, each focused on its own individual narrative. These stories are based on mundane day-to-day life, past struggles, and real people. Throughout our lives we encounter many “characters” and create our own stories. Some of these people and stories become part of our personal identity as we pass them on to those around us. I feel compelled to narrate these stories derived from human nature, universal experiences, and my own personal understanding of the world around me. Drawing from these observations, I am able to manifest prevalent themes about life within our contemporary society. By creating comical figures, I am initiating a non-threatening conversation about a variety of topics prevalent within our culture. Captivating the imagination of the viewer through open-ended stories, I invite the fabrication of personal narratives and encourage an intimate connection with the characters. This dialogue between viewer and figure encourages various interpretations, all while relating the narrative back to themes of everyday existence and experiences. With my work, I am modeling my figures with exaggerated folds and wrinkles in order to create a visceral encounter with each narrative. Through sculpting in this stylized yet realistic way, the viewer gets hooked in as their curiosity leads them to closely examine each character.