Jo Reske Kirkman

My CERAMIC PORTFOLIO includes aesthetically interesting, functional and decorative work.  I create pieces using Minnesota clay mixes of stoneware with iron and wood fired porcelain.  The pieces are fired in Soda Ash and Cone 10 gas kilns.  Experimenting with clay bodies, textures and glazing techniques, I create one of a kind, hand-built forms

THE PHOTOGRAPHY PORTFOLIO INCLUDES RECENT THEMATIC WORK OF THE IRON RANGE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.  I’VE BEEN INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY SINCE MY YOUTH BEGINNING WITH A KODAK “POINT AND SHOOT” INSTAMATIC CAMERA.  LATER, IN COLLEGE,  I LEARNED TO USE AN SLR AND TO DEVELOP FILM AND PRINT IMAGES.   I COLLECTED VINTAGE BROWNIE CAMERAS, ONE OF THEM MY GRANDMOTHER’S, AND BEGAN MY EXPERIMENTATION WITH FILM MANIPULATION AND OVERLAPPING IMAGES, ON THE FILM AND IN THE DARK ROOM.  THE IDEA OF USING GHOST IMAGERY IN MULTIPLE LAYERS STILL CHALLENGES AND INTRIGUES ME.  TODAY I USE A MINOLTA SLR AND LEICA DIGITAL CAMERA TO CAPTURE IMAGES, THEN I MANIPULATE THE IMAGES ON MY COMPUTER.  BEFORE APPS WERE AVAILABLE, I USED VIDEO AND OVERLAPPED IMAGE FRAMES TO CREATE NEW STILLS.