After experiencing his exhibit, Erik Gronborg has obtained a nearly heroic status in my eyes. I couldn’t be more impressed with the evolution of his work, the complete uniqueness, and the amount of diversity between his pieces. You could turn your head one way and be observing a love child between Andy Warhol and an exquisite potter, and look the other way to see a massive, sleek, gorgeous wooden table, still boasting its natural edge. The earthiness combined with a pop culture feel is both bizarre and intriguing. This is a man who grew up in Copenhagen, experienced Berkeley in the 60’s, and now owns a home that can only be described as a piece of art here in Solana Beach. He’s my kind of person, and unsurprisingly, my kind of artist.

To begin, many of his pieces are fairly raw. He has yet to refine his style, and his exploration ranges from sloppy, small, fragile cups, to art deco and bold colors, to finally, stamps and imagery. He varies between using symmetry, then totally ignoring any notion of it. His pieces seem to reflect his journey as an artist; initially timid, thin, and curiously delicate. As time progresses, the clay thickens, his confidence in the medium increases, and his cups begin to take on a more prominent stature.

He begins to use his own photo decals, a process I’ve never even heard of. The result is very bold and man-made, yet his ceramic work remains earthy in its figure. I would expect someone doing this process to be throwing on the wheel, matching the clear cut style of the imagery to the clay itself. Instead, he chooses hand building for almost all of his work. This contrast is what interests me, there is a clear conflict between the two. Not to be overly analytical, but it is a perfect representation of humanity. Torn between nature and society, forever imprinting ourselves onto the natural world. Clumsy, yet beautiful. Outrageous, yet grounded. Shaped by our creations, as well as shaped by the planet itself. It is this marriage between man-made art and one of the most natural mediums that to me personally, gives Gronborg’s art its flair.