Dinocritters and Dragons: Sculptures by John Fink

Our Dinocritter

We are the proud owners of a Dinocritter made by John Fink. Here he is, staring at us from his shelf with a quizzical look, as if he wonders how he got into our world. Also apt is John’s alternate name for his ceramic creations, “Far-Fetched Dragons”, for they often find themselves in larger, playful constructions—so playful that I found myself laughing out loud at his exhibit in Gallery West at Suffolk Community College, Brentwood. Maybe our critter got here “Through the Portal” with the help of the Scientist Critter operating the bizarro device. Maybe he came as a little egg on the “Maternity Express”, guarded by a fiercely grimacing dragon. It is the expressions and individual identities he gives to each of these critters that makes a room full of them so fun to explore—a gallery full of John Fink’s playful sculptures is a really fun exhibit. Article on the exhibit.

Maternity Express

Maternity Express - detail

The joy John brings to the creative process is also why I keep returning to take his classes over the years. From John’s article Creative Thinking: “…creative strength is found through ‘weakness,’ not by being egotistically confident in your abilities, but to come innocently to work as would a child. To accept vulnerability as strength, rather than a weakness.” An important understand for any artist, and particularly appropriate for those of us who play with clay.

John's playful dancing figures

In addition to the Dinocritters, this exhibit includes some of his large scale outdoor constructions, and my favorite of those is “Homage to the God of Catastrophe”, one of his large multi-sectioned constructions that include tiny little surreal figures dancing and praying. There are also beautiful, exquisitely colored ceramic wall pieces, and examples of some of his newest series of works, including a set of sculptures in homage to coffee—and I am very happy to admit that we are ALSO the owners of a set of John’s idiosyncratic handmade coffee cups.