Page 162 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

ARTS

IN THE BACK

You can ind McCrae’s torsos and monsters
all over downtown Knoxville, including at

Rococo [pictured; 2 Market Square], Sapphire
[428 Gay St.], and at UT’s Downtown Studio

[106 Gay St.] Faculty Art Show.

Photograph by tyler oxendine

John McCrae
“I started out making these monsters, traditional firing, followed by placing the

ghoulish creatures,” he says. his wife, hot sculpture in a closed container full of

John McCrae—university of Tennes- Sharon, suggested he try experimenting flammable material, which burns away.
see architecture professor, sculptor, and more with human figures, and from there The result is “beautiful—with unexpect-

author of children’s book The Adventures his torso project was born. “I’m not try- ed colors and what’s called ‘crackling’ in
of Naomi and Noah (with co-author Jona ing to replicate the human figure, per se. the surface—caused by hairline cracks

Shehu)—finds his inspiration in stories, I work rapidly, without preconception.
with carbon inside them,” says McCrae.

mythology, and the otherworldly. Three It creates art with more movement—to McCrae works at Mighty Mud Studio
years ago, he stepped down from his explore what can be,” he says.
[www.mightymudclay.com]. he often

position as dean of the Architecture McCrae uses a Japanese firing process works with a partner, Michael Robison,
School to focus more on teaching—and called raku for his torsos and monsters. who helps him to move the white-hot

on his art.
Raku employs a lower level of heat than
sculptures safely.

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