Merryll Saylan: March 2011

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About Me

“Form, contrast, pattern, texture and color are primary themes in my work. Bowls and platters serve as my canvas on which to investigate and explore surface manipulation and visual images. The nature of wood – with its inherent differences in color, grain, texture and density – offers the ground for experimentation with pigments and texture. The recent multiples and installations allow for more complex studies by the juxtaposition of one piece to another. Environment has always affected my work and living next to a salt marsh with its movement and patterns from tidal action is reflected on my surfaces. I have been influenced and attracted to the work and themes of artists such as Morandi, Wayne Thiebaud, Agnes Martin, and Hans Coper.”

Bio

Merryll Saylan lives and maintains a studio in Berkeley, California. Educated with a BA in Design from UCLA and an MA in Art from California State University Northridge, her work has been exhibited in many museums and galleries, including the Renwick Gallery, Museum of Art & Design, and the Yale University Art Gallery. Her pieces have been included in numerous shows such as Turning Wood into Art at The Mint Museum, Turned Wood Now at Arizona State University Museum, and the opening exhibition at the Museum of Arts & Design. A leader in the use of color and texture on wood and a valued authority in wood turning method, Saylan’s writings on art, techniques, and the woodturning field have been published in books and magazines.

Saylan’s influence in the wood and craft communities is also felt through her teaching practice and her involvement in numerous arts organizations, serving on the boards of both The Wood Turning Center and the American Association of Woodturners and as a Master Member in the Baulines Guild. Saylan participated in Artist-in-Residence programs in the United States and England including Grizedale Sculpture Park, Cumbria, England; International Turning Exchange sponsored by The Wood Turning Center; and Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Colorado. She was a Visiting Artist and taught at CCA in San Francisco. In 2004, the US Department of State’s ART in Embassies Program sent her to Fiji to hold a series of public lectures and workshops where her work is on display at the US Embassy. She was invited to participate in the Smithsonian Archives of American Art and has recently finished working on that documentation. In 2009, Saylan was AAW, Professional Outreach Program Merit Award Winner.

Merryll Saylan

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