Buies Creek, N.C.— A turtle inches across a rock, captured in time like a creature from a past geological age. Campbell art professor Larkin Tysor’s fascination with the ocean and sea creatures led to a series of relief sculptures that appear to have been taken from the earth’s crust. An exhibition of Tysor’s work will be on display in the E.P. Sauls Gallery of the Taylor Bott Rogers Fine Arts Center until September 11.
“I have always loved the beach and been fascinated by the creatures that lived in the waters,” Tysor said. “My usual work is in functional glazed pottery with some sculptural pieces on the side. But this summer, when I fired some pieces I liked the sand quality of the natural clay.”
Tysor tried some of the tiles with colored glazes, but found that the glazes distracted from the sculptural quality of the work. The result is a series of sculptures that appear to have a fossilized quality about them.
“I can see a lot of possibilities and more work coming out of this series,” said Tysor. “This has been one of the most artistically rewarding series I have ever worked on.”
Professor Larkin Tysor received a Bachelor of Arts in ceramics from High Point University and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Tysor has participated in over 20 exhibits and commissions. His areas of concentration at Campbell are ceramics and sculpture.
The E.P. Sauls Gallery is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free and open to the public.
Photo Copy: Sculpture by Campbell University Professor Larkin Tysor, “Turtle 2010.”