Arne Handley

Artist Statement

In a book I have read recently, the author talked about a character, a saxophonist, who played few notes but played them well.  The image stuck with me because I think that is what we all strive to do.  The simplicity of the bowl, the comfortable line of a cylinder or the visual expanse of a plate that are done with as few strokes or notes well can be seen and felt.  Even when looking at seemingly ornate pieces of Kutanayaki or Delft porcelain, we look for the simple strokes of the decorator.

We are all off shoots of the influences that got us to the place we are aesthetically.  For me it the prairie sky for colour and the soft evening lines are primary but the years spent in the mountains of western Canada and central Japan had to have had some effect on what I do.

Hopefully, when someone looks at the work (or play) they will see those three or four notes played with, moved and done well.  Hopefully, they will smile and feel better than before they looked at the piece and that the soup will taste just a little bit better.

Selected Exhibitions

2000                "Edges" works by Barbara Akins, Arne Handley and Yuriko Kitamura, Scott Gallery
1998                “Taking Tea”, works by Arne Handley and Brenda Malkinson
  Scott Gallery
1996                Functional Pottery, Red Deer Museum
1996                “Tagraggery”, Medicine Hat Cultural Centre Gallery
1995                What Alberta Makes, Makes Alberta”, Electrum Gallery
1995                “Small is Sometimes OK”, works by David More and Arne Handley, Electrum Gallery
1993                “Craft in the Community”, Alberta Crafts Council
1992                Solo Exhibition, Gulf Canada Gallery
1988                Solo Exhibition, Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1984                Solo Exhibition, Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery
1981                Solo Exhibition, Crescent Heights High School Gallery
1976                Group Show, Yamanishi Prefectural Gallery, Japan