This exhibition at Libreria Del Mare features his newest ceramic works based on collaborations between an Artist and an Astronomer: "Star Dancers"
The ' Star Dancer' collaboration emerged from a friendship that began in Malta at the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena Conference, INSAP II. While there, Daniel met Maria Sundin, an astronomer based at Gothenburg University and Chalmers Institute of Technology. A mutual interest sparked their work together.
"The gravitational field in this galaxy looks like an oval volcano," Sundin says. "Imagine a deep center with sides rising up to the crater rim. The bowl of the volcano is the bar, and the stars dance along the sides of the bowl."
Yes, Oberti can imagine that, and make art of the thought.
On some platters he's incised dancers whose gestures are cast by the most ancient technique of stabbing moist stoneware clay with a slender stylus, suggesting flesh and motion. In each piece he works, Oberti untangles earth and sun, clay and fire, and wraps them in cosmological beauty. He makes these things in awe.
"Born in San Francisco, son of a Genovese ravioli maker and a French Laundry mistress, my heritage is Mediterranean and my consciousness European. My work is created like that of an old world craftsman, using natural clays, glazes and colorants produced from pure metal oxides such as copper, iron, manganese and cobalt."
Mr. Oberti lives and maintins his studio in the wine region of Northern California. His works can be viewed at: http://www.danieloberti.com